As an adult survivor of abuse, including sexual abuse in both childhood and adolescence, I know what it feels like to not be heard, seen, or believed, and to feel deeply wounded because the truth of my experiences went unacknowledged and/or were outright denied and invalidated by those possessing the power to do so.

I come from a family that carries multi-generational trauma, which means I was raised to follow the unspoken “rules” common to most every dysfunctional, shame-based family system, th...