Voices of Resilience Radio (VRR)
Welcome to VRR!
A warm welcome to those who have found this podcast. I set up this podcast during the 2020 NZ lockdown to support, give hope, and provide real stories of resilience and posttraumatic growth.This podcast challenges a deficit approach and seeks to amplify what is strong, not what is wrong by talking with real people about their real stories of resilience and healing.
At present, I am not recording new episodes of VRR while I’m working diligently on my PhD - although this could change in the future.
At the age of 39, Emily was flooded with memories of being sexually abused by her father - someone whom she “adored and admired.”
“At age 39, I was a divorced mother of a toddler, working as a therapist for sexually abused children, and completing my dissertation,” Emily says….And at this same age, this is when her darkest memories came flooding in.
In this interview, psychologist, Emily Samuelson (Ph.D.) and I talk about the book she curated with stories of healing from those who experienced childhood sexual abuse across the United States, and also weaved between her chapters topics from her own story of healing, Soaring above the ashes: Thriving beyond sexual abuse, and the ways she has used resilience too. Published in 2018, and a project that took two decades to complete.
Episode #9, Mary was sex-trafficked by her family when she was little. Her parents were also involved in child pornography.
“My parents were pimps, “ she says. “I am an incest survivor and was abused in ritualistic ways, by men and women.”
Because of the abuse, she experienced during her childhood, she outlines how she has chronic pain, fibromyalgia. Despite this, Mary has ‘risen from the ashes’ and created a life for herself like no other.
Episode #8, Maz immigrated from Iran to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Fleeing from a war-torn country, she moved to Canada for safety. Little did she know that in Canada the abuse would continue by her father physically, and her Canadian peers through racism. Maz, in this interview, vulnerably unfolds her wings from her core, and shares with us true messages of love.
Episode #7, In this episode, I talk with the creative, vibrant, envisioned, educated, kind, funny, storytelling Teresa…
Raised by a single father in the 1970s and ‘80s, at a time when it was not common and the courts were heavily biased in favour of the mother. Her parents separated when she was a toddler, so she had very few memories of them being together. During her early childhood and teenage years, there was sometimes a lot of conflict (yelling, sometimes physical arguments) in their household…
Episode #6, A sad, sudden death of a close friend from a snowboarding accident- as close as a brother, a difficult marriage separation, and hitting a religious rock bottom left Dave clutching for answers and wanting to look deeper into where he found himself in his ‘age 30 transition’. Yet, a light within him kept him searching for answers, pursuing a new reality, and persevering the most difficult of times to find answers that would help resolve not only him but even his lineage before him.
Episode #5, Meet Rebecca, absolute warrioress and someone who has truly continued to pursue her glowing ball of light in her center, in her core. She experienced sexual abuse when she was 18 in a relationship. However, she made the choice to learn about her experiences, what had happened, and to surround herself with healthy women through sports, pursue sensuality and empowerment over her body through dance, and to remember the words and messages from her childhood. She held onto these during the dark times… (
Episode #4, Welcome to the NEW Voices of Resilience Radio - Collectiveness at Heart. I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking and believe that Voices of Resilience Radio needs to open to include all types of people who have experienced trauma, difficult times and challenges in their lifetime. I believe that those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse and those who have experienced other types of experiences and trauma and difficult times - we all need to share our stories, our voices, talk about what is strong - and narrate a new, strengths-based story one.word.at.a.time. So, I am honoured an privileged to share the NEW Voices of Resilience Radio…
Episode #3, Haere mai! Welcome to the FIRST interview on Voices of Resilience Radio! I am honoured to introduce to you Ashley and her story of resilience. Ashley tells us about how resilience for her, when looking back, was all the things she disregarded – until recent years when she identified these as her strengths. Fijian Indian and New Zealand, Ashley shares how her journey of healing has involved choosing, building, and reclaiming her culture and beliefs – according to her preferences. She shares several resilience factors she’s used, without even realising it, throughout her healing journey including creativity, community, culture, dance, music, education, and putting her foot down! We talk a little about posttraumatic growth. Listen now...and prepare to be inspired and even (hopefully!) experience some of the ‘goosebump’ moments we have in this sacred kōrero (talk).
Episode #2, A professional once told me that I should be a statistic because of my background. I work as a counsellor now, and I can tell you there is a huge need for those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, to outline how to work with and influence this healing area. This is my mission. (April 2020).