I had the absolute honor and pleasure of talking with author,counsellor, educator, activist and childhood sexual abuse survivor Rosie McMahan. I decided to share this one via video (available through spotify platform & youtube). Rosie is the author of Fortunate Daughter: A Memoir of Reconciliation.
Rosie and her family were one of the first families to work with renowned Trauma expert and psychiatrist Dr. Judith Herman and therapist Emily Schatzow in the 1970's. Dr. Judith Herman understood the need for survivors to take back their power and speak their truth about the impact of the abuse. With their guidance and support Rosie participated in family confrontation and disclosure where she gave her "Victim Statement."
Listen as we discuss her memoir and questions around disclosure, empowerment and healing.

About the book:
Fortunate Daughter: A Memoir of Reconciliation. Though the book begins as an all-too-common story of childhood sexual abuse, it gradually becomes a rare story of how one person heals from that early trauma. In this intimate first-person narrative, McMahan offers the reader a portrait of misery, abuse, and hurt, followed by the difficult and painful task of healing.  It’s a journey that, in the end, reveals the complicated and nuanced venture of true reconciliation and the freedom that comes along with it. Fortunate Daughter: A Memoir of Reconciliation is a first prize winner in the 2021 Chanticleer International Journey Book Awards.
First, a daughter, sister, wife, and mother, McMahan identifies as an irreverent and opinionated white cisgendered woman, who is also a survivor, a feminist, writer, educator, counselor, attending Quaker, community activist, and avid botanical enthusiast. Her poetry has been published in several journals. She works at MA Mentoring Partnership and owns and operates Optimistic Options, a private practice rooted in trauma informed care and restorative justice principles.

Learn more about her book Purchase Here
Rosie's website optimistic-options.com
Rosie's Podcast:  Heart2Heart Listen to conversation with Dr. Judith Herman and Emily Schatzow, the two clinicians that worked with Rosie and her family. Hear what they have to say on the topic of breaking secrecy.