The girls – now women – who have come forth to tell their story of survival are now living from a sense of purpose. They are changing their life stories. Taking the bad things that happened in their young lives and reinterpreting, rewriting their personal narratives in a more positive frame. In doing so, they […]
My friend “Emily” – a friend from university days – was visiting this past weekend. It was way past midnight. We had been talking for hours. And we were on our second or third glass of wine. She asked what I was up to these days. When I mentioned that I was writing this series […]
“I will never understand why it is more shameful to be raped than to be a rapist.” ~ Anonymous I f we have any major unresolved emotional traumas . . . any physical, emotional or sexual abuse in our past. Anything we would never want to share with anyone (even a therapist) . . . […]
My observations about trauma and abuse are not pure projection on my part. They are not just thoughts inspired by my clients’ stories. I experienced numerous traumas in my younger years . . . from alcohol-infused childhood violence, to being threatened at knife point (by my father-in-law, no less; now there’s another story . . […]
T his morning, I read in my local paper about a common type of trafficker called a “Romeo pimp.” This is the trafficker who develops a romantic relationship with his victim. Who knew there was such a term? We don’t know whether Jeffrey Epstein developed a romantic relationship with his victims, or whether the sociopath […]
The whole seedy Jeffrey Epstein sexual abuse scandal gives rise to so many questions. The ones that hold the most fascination for me are those concerning power and authority. Does childhood train us to like being admired by men? To want to please people in authority? To respect those who have power over us? Why […]
I’ve been wondering lately about our human tendency to readily give away our power. I’m thinking that, as with most everything, it has its roots in childhood. We’re born powerful, right? When we cry, good parents come running. They feed us, burp us, amuse us, change our diaper and take care of our every need. […]
In a later post, we’ll look at the lasting impact of sexual abuse. But first, let’s take a peek at what enticed young girls to take part in the sexual abuse of Jeffrey Epstein and his cronies. We’ve talked about why men are attracted to preying on vulnerable girls. But what was the allure from […]
Young women may feel it’s a status symbol to be with an older man. Men of wealth, success and power have a certain cachet. They impress with their confidence, financial stability, and sophisticated worldly ways. Younger guys lack the social smarts and self-assurance. Not to mention, they have no gas money. And sometimes they have […]
The age of #MeToo has broken open the discussion of sexual assaults on women by powerful men. Men such as movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, television icon Bill Cosby and now (say it isn’t so!) the esteemed tenor, Placido Domingo. But my focus in this series is something more heinous. Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking ring […]