1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:05,359 Speaker 1: Wind Down with Janet Kramer and I'm Heeart Radio podcast. 2 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,040 Speaker 2: Okay, this week's special guests, We've got Amy Alexander on 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 2: The Refuge Center for Counseling began in two thousand and 4 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 2: five and provides forty one thousand counseling sessions for over 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 2: four thousand clients annually. 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 3: Is that correct? 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 4: Yes? 8 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 3: Okay, great. 9 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:27,319 Speaker 2: Amy Alexander is not only mining Kristen's therapist, but she is. 10 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 2: I mean, you started Refuge, co founder, co founder, so 11 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 2: and we want to talk about E M, D R DV. 12 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 2: So thank you Amy for coming in and sitting down 13 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 2: on our couch today. 14 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 5: You're welcome. 15 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 2: You know, I gotta say, I'm it's a weird spot 16 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 2: to be and when you're excited about some an episode, 17 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: but you're also it's also heavy the topic of it. 18 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 3: And but I do. 19 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: I gotta say. I like Amy being on our couch 20 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 2: this time, Kristen, we. 21 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 3: Have sat on her couch. 22 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 4: Actually for you, We actually have we have a for you, Amy, 23 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 4: Amy like the most protective therapist in the history of therapists. 24 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 4: Like I'll group chat Jana and Amy and say, you know, 25 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 4: even about today, like you know, just really praying over 26 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 4: us over and over again, and I felt like even 27 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 4: then she was going to sign and with. 28 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 3: Like her response was going to be a. 29 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 5: Can deny always. 30 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 4: I'm like, hey, Jana said she was just here, and 31 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 4: she was like, I cannot confirm or deny that, and 32 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 4: I'm like, no, I literally just saw her. You want 33 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 4: to facetimeer She'll say it too, butting us always, we 34 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 4: appreciate you coming here and sitting on our couch because 35 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 4: we have obviously spared our soul on your couch and 36 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 4: you've helped us through so much. 37 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 2: So thank you for coming and bringing your your wisdom, 38 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: your your words that have helped us so much. And 39 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 2: you know, I think for me, one of the main 40 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: reasons that I want to talk to you and you 41 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: have helped me get to a place where when I 42 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 2: was going through abuse was to trust myself. And I 43 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 2: think that's the hardest piece to get to because it's 44 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 2: so much of it is crazy making and you know, 45 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: I there's so much there's like, there's so many questions, 46 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 2: and I think for me, one of my biggest ones 47 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 2: is just I don't want to say like the definition, 48 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 2: but so many people go, well, he wasn't physical, so 49 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,119 Speaker 2: but I'm like, but verbal abuse is just as abusive 50 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 2: as physical. And I said so many times to you 51 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 2: that the hands that were laid on me didn't hurt 52 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: as much as the words that were said to me. 53 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: And you know, how, how can someone go because I 54 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: think it's hard for people to say it's abuse when 55 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 2: it's not physical. You can speak on that piece of it. 56 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 2: That would be hopefully helpful, I think for others too. 57 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: But well, first and foremost, it is an honor for 58 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: me to be here with you, guys, And more than anything, 59 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: what I want to do is highlight and commend your 60 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: courage and your bravery. You are two ladies that show 61 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: up and do the hard work. Frequently you get to 62 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: my office and tell a really hard truth and do 63 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: very difficult work. But you keep showing up, and you 64 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: keep showing up, and you keep showing up, and you 65 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: should have a platform to speak to people because you've 66 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: done the hard work. There's a lot of people that 67 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: want to talk and give advice and give wisdom, but 68 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: they're not really behind a closed door bearing their soul. 69 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: And I just want to testify to the fact that 70 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: that's what you guys do. You are congruent in that way, 71 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: you're not asking people to do things you're not doing yourself. 72 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: So think that should be commended. So yes, in terms 73 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: of how do we define abuse, So I'm going to 74 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: talk today about intimate partner terrorism. Okay, Intimate partner terrorism 75 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: is high levels of coercive control. It is power over 76 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: top down, and oftentimes there's a. 77 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 5: Great deal of fear. 78 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 1: There are other types of violence that occur in relationships. 79 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: There's situational violence. So that might be Gosh, every time 80 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: we talk about this one topic, maybe it's our oldest 81 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: child or money, things just escalate, they intensify, and we 82 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: get it gets aggressive, you know, physically, emotionally, we're just 83 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: not nice to each other. 84 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:47,679 Speaker 5: That's situational violence. 85 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: There is also sort of a reactive violence, which is, 86 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: if someone puts their hands on me again this weekend, 87 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: I'm going to fight back. I am no longer going 88 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 1: to not take care of myself now. The intention behind 89 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 1: someone who is fighting back is not to establish power 90 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: and control and dominance over their partners to protect themselves. 91 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: But what we're talking about today is a specific and 92 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: strategic set of behaviors that is intended to establish power 93 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: and control over someone. So what I would introduce you 94 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: to is something called the power and control wheel, and 95 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: that was developed out of the Duluth Project in Minnesota 96 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: in the mid eighties. And if you can picture a wheel, 97 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: maybe you can put it in the show notes even 98 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: but if you can picture a wheel, on the outside 99 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,360 Speaker 1: is physical and sexual violence. So those are the things 100 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: that we know are abusive. We could tell a friend 101 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: and they would say that's abusive. 102 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 5: We could go to the law. 103 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: The lot would say yes, that's abusive, and you'd probably 104 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: be eligible for a restraining order of protection. The hard 105 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: part is that by the time we're experiencing physical or 106 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 1: sexual abuse, there's a lot of other things that have 107 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: been happening, usually for quite some time, that we knew 108 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: felt bad, but we didn't know to call it abuse. Okay, 109 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: so I'm going to quickly go through those things. One 110 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: of those things is intimidation, making you afraid with looks, actions, gestures. 111 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 1: Maybe it's blocking doorways during arguments so that you can't 112 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: leave the bathroom or the kitchen. Maybe it's holding up 113 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: a knife while we're cooking dinner together and no one 114 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: lunged at you. There's been no curse words, but just 115 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: the look on your partner's face tells you this could 116 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: get bad. Okay, emotional abuse, calling someone names, making them 117 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: feel bad about themselves, blaming them for things. I've worked 118 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 1: with many people who would say that the bruises that 119 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: don't heal are the names and the words that were 120 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: used to describe me, And. 121 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 5: That's the stuff that sticks. That's the most painful. 122 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: Isolation is controlling where someone goes, what they can do. 123 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: Maybe it's I have access to all of your text 124 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 1: messages and emails. I'm tracking the mileage on your car. 125 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: Maybe you're not even aware of it. A lot of 126 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: times you find a tracking device on your car. Now, 127 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: the thing I will say about isolation is that when 128 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: we know that the only way to stay safe in 129 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,679 Speaker 1: a relationship is to keep the peace right at all 130 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: of our waking breaths are about keeping the peace, we 131 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: slowly become disconnected from ourselves. So we lose touch with 132 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: do I like yoga or not? Do I want to 133 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: go to church or not? Do I like red lipstick? 134 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: What are my hobbies, my passions, my interests. That's not 135 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: a priority anymore. It's keeping my partner happy. So when 136 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: we first go to therapy, our therapist might ask us 137 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: very basic questions like well, how do you feel about that? 138 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: Or what does your gut say? Or what do you 139 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: want to do? But the self that could answer those 140 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 1: questions has become atrophied. Our self muscle has atrophied. And 141 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: the truth is, we don't know. We don't know, and 142 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: so it's a very patient process of finding my way 143 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: back to me in a place where it's safe enough 144 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: for you know, I get priorities and I get needs. Okay. 145 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: The next thing is minimizing denying and blaming. So that 146 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: would be every time you try to address an issue 147 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: with your partner, they immediately point the finger back at 148 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: you and it's your fault. 149 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 5: So the abuse isn't that bad. 150 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: It's not happening, you're making it up, or it's your 151 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: fault if it happens in the first place. 152 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 5: Okay. 153 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: The next part of the wheel would be using kids, 154 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: putting kids in the middle, making them feel like they 155 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: have to relay messages. Hey, Johnny, would you put the 156 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: dishes in the dishwasher? Note Johnny, sit down in this house. 157 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 1: Men don't do the dishes right, undermining your authority, perhaps 158 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: as a parent. So there's a lot of ways that 159 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: children can be engaged. The next one is privilege or entitlement. 160 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: And listen, this dynamic occurs if females can be abusive 161 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: just as males can. It also occurs in same sex relationships. 162 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: But this is basically saying that because of. 163 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 5: My gender, or the amount of money I. 164 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: Make, or the title I have at work, I am 165 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: the master of this castle, and I will make the 166 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: decisions about what you get to know and not know. 167 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: I'll decide how much you get or don't get. I 168 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: decide who takes care of the kids or the chores. 169 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: They make all the decisions because they feel entitled to 170 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: do that. Now with that, this person is also generally 171 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: pretty concerned with image management, so they really want to 172 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: look good to people in authority, okay, and that could 173 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: include pastors and therapists. So then when you go to 174 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: try to address the issue with someone you trust, it's 175 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: tough because if you tell the truth, you've made them 176 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: look bad in front of someone with authority, and there 177 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: is usually a consequence for that, and there's a price 178 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: to pay, and you just start to say less and 179 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: less of the truth. Two more here economic abuse. So 180 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: that's preventing you from getting a job or keeping a job, 181 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 1: not letting you know about certain accounts or funds, not 182 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: aware that there's money you should have access to. And 183 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: then the final thing would be coercion and threats, the 184 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 1: most powerful of which is probably if you leave me, 185 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: I'll kill myself. I mean, that is quite a load 186 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: to carry. How scary is it to think about having 187 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: to make that decision. Sometimes these are veiled threats, and 188 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,079 Speaker 1: it could be threats to turn you in for something, 189 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: or to harm the children, or to come after you. 190 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: But listen, all of these things contribute to the power 191 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: and control dynamic. So it's so much more than physical 192 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:44,559 Speaker 1: and sexual abuse. 193 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 5: It's so much more. 194 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 3: I'm a little. 195 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:52,719 Speaker 5: Take your time, take your time. 196 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 3: Pretty wild to me to hear. 197 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 4: How many of those applied to what was modeled to 198 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 4: me growing up. Yeah, I would say almost all. Okay, okay, 199 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 4: And I think what's wildly clarifying is I do not 200 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 4: blame either parent. 201 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 3: I don't and I. 202 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 4: Have had a really exceptional therapist walk with me through 203 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 4: these times. So I think what's interesting is when you 204 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 4: strip it down and it gets by definition, it loses 205 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 4: the power, The shame and the gas lighting lose their 206 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 4: fuel for me. So like, I mean, almost everything you 207 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 4: named I saw modeled. Okay, it's your story, and that 208 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 4: is pretty powerful. You and I haven't really talked a 209 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 4: ton about that part of my life, you know, it's 210 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 4: a piece of it. Like we have worked a lot through, 211 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:06,079 Speaker 4: like the deaths and the you know, relationship with my dad, 212 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 4: but we've never like talked in depth. I not for 213 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,839 Speaker 4: any reason, maybe just it just has come up a 214 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,559 Speaker 4: lot lately. But I have never, by definition, seen anything 215 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 4: outline my parents' relationship. So clearly, if you add an 216 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 4: alcohol and drug abuse layer to that, I check probably 217 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 4: every box. 218 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 3: So it's just wildly clarifying. When you're reading that. I 219 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 3: just kept going, like unbelievable. 220 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 5: Yeah, here it is right. 221 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: So many people will say, you know, my partner just 222 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: struggles with anger, and if they could just do like 223 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: a you know, sixteen week anger management class and learn 224 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,079 Speaker 1: how to journal and take deep breaths and walk away, 225 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: this wouldn't be a problem. Or they say, my partner 226 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: drinks too much, and if they could just do twenty 227 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 1: eight days in rehab and stop drinking, this wouldn't happen anymore. 228 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: And one thing I really want to clarify is this 229 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: is not necessarily about anger substances. Those can escalate situations, 230 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 1: but it is about someone's values and their belief system. 231 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 1: If I believe that this is how I get my 232 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: needs met, that it's okay for me to treat my 233 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: partner like this. 234 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 5: That this is acceptable. 235 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: If I believe that, then I can be sober and 236 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: I can have all the anger management techniques in the world, 237 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: but the thing that drives the behavior will not change. 238 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:37,679 Speaker 4: Yeah, what's wild is that hasn't even been a conversation 239 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 4: in my family. So it wasn't if he gets sober. 240 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 4: If he did that, it's just yeah, do not talk 241 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 4: about it, Okay, avoid it, pretend it doesn't exist. And 242 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 4: so then imagine that is the base level. And then 243 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 4: you've got two little kids that come under and they're all, 244 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 4: we're just trying to figure out where we belong. Obviously 245 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 4: we are loved, right that we were told we were loved. 246 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 4: We always had a roof over our head, we always 247 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 4: had food. But when you're operating and growing a nervous 248 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 4: system in this situation where literally all of those things 249 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 4: have been a check mark, that's a lot for a little. 250 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 1: Kids, a lot it's a lot for anybody. 251 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 3: I just have that. 252 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 4: That was a very like, a very clarifying because I 253 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 4: know what I know to be true about the things 254 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 4: I've seen and I've heard and I witnessed. I know 255 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 4: it and I deal with it. But I deal with 256 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 4: it by myself most of the time, meaning it is 257 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 4: not common. It's not talked about in my family system. 258 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 4: And the minute I try to take some ground, it's, 259 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 4: you know, villainized. I'm I'm just the villain. 260 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: So you'd like to talk about it, you'd like to 261 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: create a space to have some conversations. 262 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, because I also, you know, I came to a 263 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 4: point in my adult life where I realized my dad 264 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 4: was just a little boy, a hurt little boy. And 265 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 4: this is the most I've ever talked about any of this. 266 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 6: On here specifically, I keep it pretty like thirty thousand feet. 267 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 6: So I love him and care about him, and I 268 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 6: felt sad for the little boy that felt that he 269 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 6: didn't have a choice, and for a little boy who 270 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 6: grew up and tried to get control wherever he could 271 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 6: get it. So my frustration is not ever for the 272 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 6: things I can't change. I gave a lot of grace 273 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 6: and a lot of and not public grace. 274 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 3: And not even. 275 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 4: Vocal grace to my mom. I just knew she was 276 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 4: operating in a system that probably chipped away at her, 277 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 4: and she was doing the best she could do. She 278 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 4: was young, and we did the best he could do. 279 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 4: But I was really the only one to stand up 280 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 4: to him, and that I think was a point of 281 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 4: contention for him and I and a point of unspoken understanding. 282 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 4: I was not afraid of him, and that was terrifying 283 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 4: to him. So as a little kid to have witnessed 284 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 4: domestic violence as an adult, to be underminded when I 285 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 4: say things like that, You know, I've got family members 286 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 4: that have spoken on several different occasions to say, is 287 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 4: sweeping it under the rug not acknowledging or gaslighting people 288 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 4: that didn't live in my house. I want to be 289 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 4: really clear about that. You know. That's always wild to 290 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 4: me when someone has such an outward opinion about the 291 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 4: things that happened in a home they didn't live in. 292 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 3: But I think it's really important. 293 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 4: To speak on all of it because I know there's 294 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 4: women that are moms, or women that are career women, 295 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 4: or women that listen to us in bathtubs or on 296 00:16:55,160 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 4: walks or in cars that still feel like they can 297 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 4: can't speak up, or if they do, like it's just 298 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 4: an isolating feeling to be. 299 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 3: A child of this and it's never been acknowledged. 300 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's there's risks and implications to acknowledging it, right, 301 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: because if I acknowledge that's true for you and that 302 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: that happened to you, what then do I have to 303 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: look at in my own life? Right, there's a right, 304 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: there's work that's to be done there. But I you're 305 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: a truth teller, you always have been. You see things 306 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: very very clearly, and then it's just drumming up the 307 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: courage to trust yourself and tell the truth. And I'm 308 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: really proud of you today talking about what you grew 309 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: up with and how hard it felt to be the 310 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 1: child who's very fragile and vulnerable and yet you're having 311 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: to take on the bully in the house. 312 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 5: That's hard. 313 00:17:57,760 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 6: Yeah. 314 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 3: And it's weird too, because. 315 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 4: There's been times in my adult life where I'm like, oh, well, 316 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 4: it wasn't like it's almost like I judge having a 317 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:11,640 Speaker 4: feeling about it, you know, it wasn't until like it's 318 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 4: really been difficult. I don't know if there is a 319 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 4: correlation the fact that love is now at an age 320 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 4: where I vividly remember things. 321 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I'm parenting this little. 322 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 4: Young version of me, you know, and I don't project 323 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 4: onto her, but I fiercely protect them being kids and 324 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 4: getting to keep childhood and deal with things that come 325 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 4: at an age appropriate level. And so you know, like 326 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 4: I had shared with Janna that I watched an episode 327 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 4: of a TV show recently, and I don't think Preston 328 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,879 Speaker 4: even really understands. I don't talk about it, you know, 329 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 4: like it's what's kind of what's the point I guess 330 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 4: in my brain, Like I don't share that every day. 331 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 4: It's not like, oh and then I saw, you know, 332 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 4: my dad hit my mom or grab her by the throat, 333 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 4: like you know, like that isn't but that's a really 334 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 4: powerful image to have in your brain for a girl 335 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 4: who then. 336 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 3: Wants to try to grow up and trust a man 337 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 3: and build a home. 338 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 2: And well it's interesting too, like you sharing that story 339 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,160 Speaker 2: is a because I grew. 340 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 3: Up with volatile illusions. 341 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,879 Speaker 2: Yeah, and where I went was I then, like I 342 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 2: don't believe that from that experience for me, I ended 343 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 2: up then dating abusers because that's what was modeled to 344 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 2: me to stay in that chay. 345 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: This concept of repetition, compulsion or trauma re enactment. Okay, 346 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: so our brains are hardwired for resolution. We really want 347 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: to make sense of the story and we want to 348 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: put the pieces back together again. There's a book called 349 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: Betrayal Bond, and essentially what's described there is that I 350 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: keep returning. This is unconscious, right, this is an unconscious 351 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 1: thing that's happening. But I keep returning to the scene 352 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,640 Speaker 1: of the accident again and again, this time thinking from 353 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: a place of power, I can change the ending, but 354 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: the wound only deepens, So I keep going back to 355 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: the same profile of person. Or I keep going back 356 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: to that toxic well of water and I keep drinking, 357 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 1: hoping I'll be nourished and hydrated, and I get sicker 358 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: and sicker. Yeah, we're trying to work it out. And 359 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: one thing that's really important is the cycle because. 360 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:24,679 Speaker 2: Well, and that's what I wanted to speak on, was 361 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 2: because breaking up with the abuser is probably the hardest 362 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 2: piece that I had to deal with multiple times with therapy, 363 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 2: because it's you know, it's I've always not loved admitting 364 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,159 Speaker 2: that pieces, but you know, the first time that I 365 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 2: had called the cops on my first abuser, I went 366 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 2: back to him that night and slept with him because 367 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 2: I was the one that I thought it was my 368 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 2: fault and I was made to feel crazy. And you know, 369 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 2: he had taken pictures of the dogs on the one 370 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 2: to one freeway, saying, if you don't come home, I'm 371 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 2: releasing you know, your dog on the freeway, and it 372 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 2: was like the picture of him trying to commit suicide. 373 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 2: So I was like, I have to get back. And 374 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 2: then I come back and it's like I'm so sorry, 375 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 2: like it's my fault, and you know, it was. I 376 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 2: was made to feel crazy, and then it becomes that cycle, 377 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 2: which is what I wanted you to talk about, because that, 378 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,639 Speaker 2: to me was always the hardest cycle to break with, 379 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 2: either a physical abuser or the verbal abuser that I've 380 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 2: have had in history's past. And you know, even sitting 381 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 2: with you trying to work through that piece of abuse 382 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 2: and just going back to it, but it's always it's 383 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 2: them making us feel like we're the problem and we're crazy. 384 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 2: That I think has what kept me in the cycle 385 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:47,199 Speaker 2: of having repeated abusive relationships and staying in them. So 386 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 2: I would love for you to speak on that cycle 387 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 2: that you helped me so much see and heal from. 388 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, because from the outside, what would be the common question, like, 389 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, why doesn't she leave? 390 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 2: Right? 391 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 5: She walk away? 392 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 1: Okay, So most relationships start out in some sort of 393 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: honeymoon seduction or peacemaking faith. In the beginning, it's really good. 394 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: In fact, it might be the best it's ever been. 395 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: A lot of times, this profile of individual can be 396 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: charming and charismatic. They're very interested in you, they want 397 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,239 Speaker 1: to spend a lot of time with you, get to 398 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 1: know you. They're passionate about moving the relationship to the 399 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: next stage, and gosh, you're thinking, this is everything I've 400 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 1: ever wanted my whole life. I've been waiting for this person, 401 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: and it's really really good. But at some point in 402 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 1: the relationship, it might be six months in. I can't 403 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: tell you how often I hear it happens on the 404 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: honeymoon or right after the wedding. But at some point 405 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: something shifts and we start feeling this tension. Okay, a 406 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: lot of people say I feel like I'm walking on eggshells. 407 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,920 Speaker 1: Lundy Bancroft in his book, Why does he do that? 408 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: He talks about it's like my partner is tilling away 409 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: at negative grievances against me, stockpiling them to be used 410 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 1: later as weapons. But it's like, all of a sudden, 411 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: you're getting everything wrong. Dinner was too cold, the kids 412 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: were too loud, your skirt was too short, pick a thing. 413 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: But on any given day you are just upsetting your 414 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: partner about all these things, and half the time you 415 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 1: can't guess what it's going to be tomorrow. You're trying 416 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: to figure it out, like why am I upsetting them? 417 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: And then at some point there is a violation or explosion. 418 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: So this could be physical or sexual abuse. It could 419 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 1: be berating you in the bed in the middle of 420 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: the night. It could be holding you down on the 421 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: ground and calling you names, any number of things. But 422 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:47,160 Speaker 1: at some point, if the relationship was ever here, if 423 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:50,479 Speaker 1: it was ever equitable, once that explosion has occurred, that 424 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 1: power dynamic shifts, and as hard as we might try 425 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 1: to get it back, we know that there's the capacity 426 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: for this right and if it just in did it explosion? 427 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 1: If it was linear, I mean we'd be out right. 428 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 1: But it's cyclical, So what do we circle right back 429 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: to honeymoon seduction, peacemaking, and for some people in the 430 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:12,880 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties they would call this like the hearts, flowers 431 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 1: and candy face. So I'm so sorry, this will never 432 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 1: happen again. Here's flowers, gifts, I'm changing diapers in the 433 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: middle of the night. There's a new pickup truck in 434 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: the driveway for you. The thing is, your partner knows 435 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: your language of seduction. They know the thing that's going 436 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,880 Speaker 1: to hook you back in the cycle, and so that's 437 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: the thing they're going to do. The hard part is 438 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: they know it before you do, so, so part of 439 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: the work is figuring out how am I seduced back 440 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: into this cycle. So around and around we go, and 441 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,800 Speaker 1: each time we move through the cycle it increases in 442 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: intensity and frequency. Now, even if it happens once a 443 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 1: year or once a day, we're tracking is this a cycle? 444 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: But here's here's the part you reference, Jenna. The same 445 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: person it tortures me is the same person who rescues me. 446 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 5: And that makes me. 447 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: Feel crazy, Yes, me feel crazy. So why the heck 448 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: do we stay? Well, I mean, we probably really love 449 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: this person. We love them, We've given and given and given, 450 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: have built a life and maybe have children. There's the 451 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: hope that dreams and the possibility that if I can 452 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: just figure out what's upsetting them, it'll be better, because 453 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 1: it's so good when it's good. And then there's the 454 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,640 Speaker 1: denial that it's not that bad, you know, I don't 455 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: get hit all the time, and the fear of can 456 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: I raise these kids alone? Can I support myself? I 457 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:42,879 Speaker 1: haven't had a job in ten ten years. Who's going 458 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: to protect them when they're with my partner on weekends 459 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 1: and there's nobody to stand in front And frankly, will 460 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: anyone believe me? Because there's a real doctor Jekyl mister 461 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: hide to this and so nobody else has seen this 462 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 1: side of them except me? Will anyone believe me that 463 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:00,359 Speaker 1: this is really happening. 464 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 2: If someone is in that cycle that's listening right now. 465 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:20,120 Speaker 2: I mean, obviously therapy is the one of the best things, 466 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,199 Speaker 2: but what would be like, what do you I know 467 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 2: what you tell them, but what do you tell the 468 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 2: person that sits on your couch to help? Because it's hard, 469 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 2: right because you're clearly hearing the stories that this person 470 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,679 Speaker 2: is being abusive. You want them and I think our 471 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 2: biggest work has always been for me to trust myself, 472 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 2: and in that trust would then be the answer that 473 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,400 Speaker 2: I would know that I would what I would need 474 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,719 Speaker 2: to do. But how do you walk that with someone 475 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 2: when they're in that cycle? 476 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: Okay, this is important, and I hope friends and family 477 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: and ministers and everybody's listening. When you're sitting in front 478 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 1: of someone who's been told what to think, what to feel, 479 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: and what to do, and they come to you for 480 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: help and support you with really good intentions, what do 481 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: you do tell them what to do? You tell them 482 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: what to think, what to feel, and what to do. 483 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: And in this dynamic, that's revictimizing, okay, because you are 484 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 1: just one more person who has power that they want 485 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: to keep happy. So they're going to tell you what 486 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 1: they think you want to hear, or they're going to 487 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: leave because you said they should. 488 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 5: So that's not. 489 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:36,679 Speaker 1: What we do here. We listen more and talk less. 490 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: We think with someone, not for them. We provide solutions 491 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:47,240 Speaker 1: and resources and options, but we don't have an agenda 492 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: or a timeline. My success of that a therapist is 493 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: not dependent on whether you stay or leave. I don't 494 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: have ego in the game. I'm here no matter what 495 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 1: you decide, as long as it's your decision. Okay, So 496 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: that's the flavor of what we're going for. 497 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 2: But how do you get them to find that truth 498 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,760 Speaker 2: in them? And I mean, again, I know we've done 499 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 2: the cards and EMDR, which I really want to get. 500 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 2: One of my main questions and people that wrote in 501 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 2: on the What to Ask You was about EMDR and 502 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 2: how does it work? And I think it's a huge 503 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:24,399 Speaker 2: part of how I've worked through anxiety and trauma. But 504 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 2: it's like, what, what is the thread with helping them 505 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 2: break that's because it is the hardest cycle to break. 506 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,200 Speaker 2: It truly is, especially when you're in it and you're 507 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,479 Speaker 2: just like made to think you're just crazy. 508 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 3: So think you deserve it, And yeah. 509 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 5: I know, I know kind of takes a long time. 510 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 4: Mine's a piggyback on that too, and I know you'll 511 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 4: probably do it both, but like, what is a step 512 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 4: one for someone who's listening and going like listening to 513 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 4: the wheel and you're going check, check, check check. It's 514 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 4: not my relationship personally, but that qualifies and validates me. 515 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 4: But someone's listening and they're checking even one of those boxes, 516 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 4: it feels impossible. I witnessed that. I witnessed the impossibility 517 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 4: of getting out, and so what is a step one? 518 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 4: It's a very overwhelming if they can't maybe afford therapy, 519 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 4: or or if there's control over their time and they 520 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 4: can't get to therapy. Therapy can be a threat to 521 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 4: abusers as well. 522 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, you're asking, you're really asking two different questions for 523 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: someone who this is resonating with. First of all, I 524 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 1: know all of our hearts are with that person. I 525 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: don't know what that feeling is in your body right 526 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:40,960 Speaker 1: now as you're hearing this information and you're thinking, oh, 527 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: my goodness, I didn't realize it, but I might be 528 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 1: in an abusive relationship. I think that the very first 529 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:54,120 Speaker 1: step is educating yourself, and that could be through a 530 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: list of books and resources, you know, Getting Free by 531 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: Jennin McCarthy, the verbally abusive relationship, You do that, all 532 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 1: those things. I just need to start understanding the dynamic 533 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: of what I live in. I might say I might not, 534 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: but I need to educate myself on how this happens 535 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 1: and why it happens, and even looking at things like 536 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 1: the profile of an abuser, so I understand is my 537 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: abuser leaning more towards a victim, the player, the terrorists, 538 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: the water torture, like, there's different flavors of this. So 539 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: step one is education and almost every city is going 540 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: to have support groups, free support groups, shelters if need be, 541 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: legal advocates. There's a lot of free resources of therapy's 542 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: not on the table. So maybe I get one of 543 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 1: these books and I start attending the free support group 544 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: on Thursday nights. I'm just understanding what my choices are. Okay, 545 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: So that's an option in therapy. Think of a three 546 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: legged stool. You've got this stool of three legs. The 547 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: first leg is the same. It's safety planning in psycho education. 548 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: So we're just going to learn about this and then 549 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: your receptivity to it, your interest in it. Almost think 550 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: of like if we had built a fire in my 551 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: office and we're looking at this fire. It's big and 552 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: it's hot. There's a part of you that might want 553 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 1: to step towards it because it warms you, and another 554 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: part of you that might want to step back from 555 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: it because it feels so hot. I'm not here to 556 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: tell you what to do with that fire. It's in 557 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 1: front of us, and now you get to do with 558 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: it as you feel ready. And what am I doing 559 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: as a therapist. I'm building autonomy. I'm trusting your decisions 560 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: and your timeline, and I'm showing you that you can 561 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: make good decisions. So I'm not playing out an agenda 562 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 1: for you in my room, but safety planning and psycho education. 563 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:37,720 Speaker 5: Okay. 564 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: If I'm going to stay, I have a safety plan. 565 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 1: If I'm going to leave, I need a safety plan. 566 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: I need a good attorney, I need a po box, 567 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: I may need pepper sprat, you know all those things. 568 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: Leg two is trauma processing, So that's where we would 569 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 1: do things to cathart the energy from your body of 570 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: the painful experiences you've had. It's very difficult to do 571 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:00,040 Speaker 1: that when you're going to leave at three o'clock and 572 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: go home to the same situation. So that's a dance 573 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:05,479 Speaker 1: about when is it time to do trauma therapy? 574 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 5: Okay? 575 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: And the third leg, which is so fun, is self discovery. 576 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: So I've cleared the channels of all the stuff. I 577 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 1: understand what has happened to me, and now I get 578 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: to figure out who the heck do I want to be? 579 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 3: And what do you want? 580 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 5: What do you want? 581 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, and it's so beautiful and remarkable, and I 582 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: think of it like going into a dark library, and 583 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 1: for all these weeks I've been like shining a flashlight 584 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: and look at this book over here, and look at 585 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: this resource, and then one day you like turn the 586 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 1: lights on. Yeah, oh my gosh, this was here all along. 587 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think one of my favorite moments with you 588 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 2: in therapy was when I was, you know, with my 589 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 2: axe and I'm obviously not in a good place, and 590 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 2: we're laying out these cards of where I'm at, sad, lonely, scared, 591 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 2: all the things, and then where I want to be, 592 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 2: and you're like, okay, how do we get there? 593 00:32:57,840 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 3: You know, just. 594 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 2: Like you know, and then having that realization of what 595 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 2: I need to do, and it was like I saw, 596 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 2: it has to be hard as a therapist to sit 597 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:13,040 Speaker 2: with the amount of stuff that we do bring that 598 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 2: you know, everyone has, but that has to be also 599 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 2: a moment for you too to be happy for the 600 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 2: person that's in front of you that you've been helping 601 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:26,719 Speaker 2: walk through it with. You know, I can't imagine how 602 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 2: that is as a therapist to go, you know, to 603 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:33,600 Speaker 2: watch someone suffer and then find their truth in a room. 604 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: I used to think about what's a metaphor for how 605 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: it feels to care for someone in a domestic violence situation. 606 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,640 Speaker 1: And I didn't know anything about boxing as a sport, 607 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 1: but I, you know, I knew enough to know. A 608 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 1: couple of people get in a ring and they hit 609 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: each other and punch, and somebody goes to the ground, 610 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: and then this bell rings and they go to their corners. 611 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: And this guy called a cutter, I think, I hope 612 00:33:58,000 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 1: that's the right term. But he jumps in the ring 613 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: and there's an ice pack and they're wiping off blood 614 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,000 Speaker 1: and sweat, and then the bell rings and they go 615 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 1: back in. And I will tell you, at times I 616 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,399 Speaker 1: feel like a cutter as a therapist, like I get 617 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: fifty minutes a week to wipe off the blood and 618 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:15,359 Speaker 1: the sweat and to put an ice pack on it, 619 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 1: and then you're back in it again. But I would say, Janet, 620 00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:26,840 Speaker 1: it's not actually hard for me, because twenty twenty four 621 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: years I've been doing this, I have pockets full of 622 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 1: stories of how people have survived and been resilient and 623 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 1: took a path I never could have imagined for them. 624 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,760 Speaker 1: It certainly wasn't my path, but they found their voice 625 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: and they found their way. And most people wake up 626 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 1: one morning and on that morning they say, I want 627 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 1: to live and I don't want to live like this anymore. 628 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: And on that day they're ready for something to change. 629 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 1: And I just get to be a witness to this. 630 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: It's amazing. 631 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 2: Can we talk about em DR because a lot of 632 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 2: people will come in. We were talking about it as 633 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:19,760 Speaker 2: I was dealing with not being able to sleep and 634 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 2: having that anxiety come back. And the reason I got 635 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:25,359 Speaker 2: recommended to you in the very beginning was because when 636 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,839 Speaker 2: I was married to my ex, I was having really 637 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 2: bad anxiety again and the therapist that I was working 638 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 2: with said, you need to go go to refuge and 639 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 2: speak with Amy, and I was introduced to em d R. 640 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:41,720 Speaker 2: I'd done it a couple times before, but didn't really 641 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 2: stick with it. And to be honest, you know, the 642 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 2: one time it was just the person using their pencil. 643 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,759 Speaker 2: I didn't really believe in it at the time. If 644 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 2: it's just felt a little hokey to me. But at 645 00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 2: that point I'm like, I will do anything. So it 646 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,319 Speaker 2: was like there and you're in your office, let's give me, Well, 647 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 2: give me the pencil. You know, what are we doing here? 648 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 2: So can we just kind of talk through that? And 649 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 2: then there was another good question in there too is 650 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 2: can you do it virtually? So two things about EMDR. 651 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, pain and desperation are pretty big motivators, aren't they. 652 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 3: It's in my experience, which is not a bad thing. 653 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:28,279 Speaker 1: It's a decent place to start. So EMDR stands for 654 00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 1: ie movement desensitization processing. We became familiar with it in 655 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 1: the nineteen eighties through a woman named Francy and Shapiro. 656 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:44,959 Speaker 1: And the bilateral movement is mimicking of something that also 657 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: happens in our rim sleep cycle, although that's in a 658 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,880 Speaker 1: sleep state. EMDR is not hypnosis, it's not a sleep state, 659 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:56,799 Speaker 1: but it is addressing multiple things. One is where the 660 00:36:56,880 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: physiological distress is locked in our body. Okay, because when 661 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 1: you're thinking about that thing that happened, you're probably like, 662 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:04,960 Speaker 1: my throat is closing up. I had this, not in 663 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:06,440 Speaker 1: my stomach. I feel like I'm going to throw up. 664 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:09,839 Speaker 1: I just want to run, right. There's a physiological response 665 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:15,239 Speaker 1: to the distress, but it's also addressing the negative beliefs 666 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:19,640 Speaker 1: that have resulted, as you know, as a byproduct of 667 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:22,800 Speaker 1: the trauma. So I thought one way to talk about 668 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: it here would be to give an example. So let's 669 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:29,839 Speaker 1: imagine someone comes to my office. They were referred to 670 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:33,600 Speaker 1: me because they're afraid of water. They would love to 671 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: go to the lake with their kids. They have a 672 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:39,399 Speaker 1: pool in their backyard, but every time they're near water, 673 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: they just get sick to their stomach. They just want 674 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:44,680 Speaker 1: to run, and they don't really know why. So they're 675 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 1: sent to me at refuge and they come in and 676 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:49,439 Speaker 1: they're telling me, I have this really weird fear of water, 677 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 1: and I want to get over it. It's impairing my 678 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 1: life and some fun things I want to do. So 679 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 1: I might say, okay, take me back to the earliest 680 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: time that you can recall feeling afraid of water. They 681 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 1: might say, well, there was this time we had a 682 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,319 Speaker 1: backyard in the pool, a pool in the backyard growing up, 683 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 1: and there was this one time I was down deep 684 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:16,280 Speaker 1: swimming and all of a sudden, my brother jumped into 685 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:19,160 Speaker 1: the pool and he was on my back for a 686 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,120 Speaker 1: long time, and I'm looking at the bottom of the 687 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 1: pool and I can't breathe, and I don't know if 688 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 1: he's going to let me up, and ever since then, 689 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: I just have this feeling in my body of drowning 690 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:34,439 Speaker 1: or helplessness, like okay, okay, So when you now think 691 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: of water, what are the body sensations that you have, 692 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:40,799 Speaker 1: Like I'm choking, I feel like I can't get a 693 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: deep breath. It feels like drowning. What are the emotions 694 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:52,920 Speaker 1: that go with that? Well, the emotions are terror, anger, helplessness. 695 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:57,680 Speaker 1: And on a scale of zero to ten, how intense 696 00:38:57,760 --> 00:38:59,719 Speaker 1: are you feeling that in your body right now? Even 697 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,600 Speaker 1: thinking about being near water? I mean it's a ten 698 00:39:02,760 --> 00:39:06,840 Speaker 1: ten plus Okay. So what is the belief you have 699 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,279 Speaker 1: developed as a result of that negative experience? What's an 700 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: im statement? I am helpless? I can't save myself. 701 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 2: Okay. 702 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:19,480 Speaker 5: Do you find that that. 703 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 1: Belief permeates into other parts of your life? 704 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:23,720 Speaker 5: Yeah? 705 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:26,000 Speaker 1: Actually, right now I need to have a hard conversation 706 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:28,680 Speaker 1: with my boss and I'm feeling really helpless and powerless 707 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 1: to do that. I don't stand up for myself in 708 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:33,800 Speaker 1: my marriage, right Okay, So now you can see this thread, 709 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:38,879 Speaker 1: this negative belief that's affecting other channels. 710 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 5: And what is it? 711 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 1: I know it feels a long ways off, it feels 712 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 1: far away, But what is it you would hope or 713 00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: prefer to believe instead that I'm not helpless and I 714 00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:52,719 Speaker 1: can save myself. Okay, So now we're going to go back. 715 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 1: I'm going to give you your bilateral devices, all right, 716 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:58,520 Speaker 1: So we have tappers that you're going to hold in 717 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 1: your hand. There are little things that buzz left to right. 718 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 1: It's very gentle. It's like a cell phone buzz. We 719 00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:05,719 Speaker 1: may put in earbuds that make a gentle tone. It's 720 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:08,560 Speaker 1: kind of a beep beep, just like that, very very soft. 721 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:11,799 Speaker 1: And then some form of an eye movement so that 722 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: moves your eyes from right to left, and we can 723 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,160 Speaker 1: set the speed to that. I want you to go 724 00:40:16,239 --> 00:40:20,480 Speaker 1: back to that memory of the pool, and we're going 725 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:22,560 Speaker 1: to see what you notice from a place of safety. 726 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:24,560 Speaker 1: Because you're here in my office. You've already survived this. 727 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:27,680 Speaker 1: You're safe. Oh, come back, but go back and see 728 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:30,880 Speaker 1: what you notice. So we begin the bilateral movements, and 729 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: you're gonna walk through those scenes knowing that you've survived it, 730 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,920 Speaker 1: but seeing maybe what you didn't see before, and maybe 731 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 1: you remember, gosh, I threw an elbow in the pool, 732 00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:47,440 Speaker 1: and come to think of it, I shoved him and 733 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:49,759 Speaker 1: I was able to swim to the surface. Wait, I 734 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:54,240 Speaker 1: saved myself, right, and you're gonna remember things you didn't 735 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:56,759 Speaker 1: know before. So what we're doing is we're looking to 736 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:59,560 Speaker 1: shift those negative beliefs that have permeated into your day 737 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 1: to day life and also clear out the energy in 738 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 1: your body. 739 00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:07,719 Speaker 2: When I think to what I loved about EMDR is 740 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,920 Speaker 2: I've we've used it in multiple areas, not just anxiety. 741 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,040 Speaker 2: It's been something that I brought to that I am 742 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,360 Speaker 2: just so angry about that I can't get over, and 743 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:20,000 Speaker 2: you're like, let's do EMDR, and it's it lessens the 744 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,040 Speaker 2: the impact that's in my body, like intensity, the intensity, Yeah, 745 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,319 Speaker 2: the intensity that's in my body. It's like, when I'm 746 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:28,600 Speaker 2: done doing EMDR, it's like, huh, I'm actually I feel 747 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:29,200 Speaker 2: so much better. 748 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:33,240 Speaker 4: And I think because it isn't like a switch that's flipped, 749 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:36,240 Speaker 4: like you walk through it. It's not like you follow 750 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 4: the lights one time you stop us and you'll say 751 00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 4: tell me what what. 752 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:42,720 Speaker 5: Are you noticing? 753 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 4: Yeah? 754 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:43,840 Speaker 3: What are you noticing? 755 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:44,440 Speaker 5: Yeah? 756 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:48,959 Speaker 4: So you it's like a guided a guided walk through. 757 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:52,560 Speaker 4: And that's what I've always appreciate because it matters to 758 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:55,720 Speaker 4: me to say that because every step in every pause, 759 00:41:55,960 --> 00:42:01,280 Speaker 4: there's something really wonderful that I gain at every little step. 760 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:04,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, negative off, positive on. Is kind of the thing 761 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:07,839 Speaker 1: as where trains moving down the tracks, and many people 762 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:10,400 Speaker 1: are terrified to go back to those moments. They think 763 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:12,800 Speaker 1: it's going to consume me if I have to remember that, 764 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:14,759 Speaker 1: or I'm going to start crying and I won't be 765 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 1: able to stop. But the reality is looking at it 766 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 1: from adult eyes and looking at it from a place 767 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:25,360 Speaker 1: of safety. Many times there's a beautiful reframe. And for you, specifically, Jenna, 768 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:28,239 Speaker 1: as you're telling more about your own experience, I'm thinking 769 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:34,000 Speaker 1: about how sometimes that process is helpful to you in 770 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:37,160 Speaker 1: identifying what it is you're really mad about and what 771 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:38,520 Speaker 1: you need and then what. 772 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:39,720 Speaker 5: You want to do something about. 773 00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:44,239 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, yeah, no, for sure. Can someone do it 774 00:42:44,320 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 2: over telehealth? 775 00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:50,319 Speaker 1: There are virtual protocols. I have never used it that way, 776 00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:54,000 Speaker 1: but certainly helpful. If you live in a remote community, 777 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:57,760 Speaker 1: you don't have a therapist near you, you're homebound because 778 00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 1: of physical imitation, do't let that stop you. 779 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:04,200 Speaker 4: Also, you can do it in a visit and then 780 00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:06,920 Speaker 4: do it again in another visit. Like I was always 781 00:43:06,920 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 4: intimidated by doing or to do it because I thought, oh, 782 00:43:10,239 --> 00:43:12,360 Speaker 4: this is like the big path, Like, this is the 783 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,440 Speaker 4: heavy lifting. So if I start it now, I have 784 00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:17,520 Speaker 4: to do it every day or every week for. 785 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:19,320 Speaker 3: Six weeks and it will be heavy. 786 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,640 Speaker 4: And it's probably one of the lightest and most freeing 787 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:24,000 Speaker 4: things that we've done together. 788 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:26,279 Speaker 3: We've done a lot of things together. 789 00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:31,759 Speaker 1: Well for you specifically, Often you hear the Lord. I 790 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:35,440 Speaker 1: mean you hear you know, yeah, really clearly. 791 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:37,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, which is amazing. 792 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 3: I'm like, Amy, do you think I'm crazy? 793 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:39,399 Speaker 2: No? 794 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:40,040 Speaker 3: Every time? 795 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:43,880 Speaker 1: No, No, like Amy, this is crazy. No, we're not 796 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:44,879 Speaker 1: alone in the room. 797 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:50,040 Speaker 2: No, we never are for someone that is just going 798 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:52,120 Speaker 2: through a difficult time. I think one of my favorite 799 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:58,080 Speaker 2: things about when I was post divorce was your light 800 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:00,000 Speaker 2: in helping me find chase joy. 801 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:00,600 Speaker 3: That was a whole thing. 802 00:44:00,719 --> 00:44:04,680 Speaker 2: Was like, go chase joy when someone is in that darkness, 803 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:08,840 Speaker 2: because you're just so well spoken with finding that light Again, 804 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 2: what is your what is your biggest tip for people 805 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:16,240 Speaker 2: finding that joy when there is so much darkness? 806 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:22,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, and things can get very dark, can't they. I 807 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:24,719 Speaker 1: mean you can feel like I don't know that I 808 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:26,440 Speaker 1: have the strength to go on or get out of 809 00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:31,799 Speaker 1: bed or fight this person who tells people terrible things 810 00:44:31,880 --> 00:44:34,400 Speaker 1: about me, or I don't know how to stand in 811 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:38,879 Speaker 1: a courtroom. I mean, it can be so daunting. There 812 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:43,160 Speaker 1: is always hope, and the most important thing is that 813 00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:48,279 Speaker 1: you not feel alone. Don't do it alone. I've got 814 00:44:48,280 --> 00:44:50,400 Speaker 1: a coffee table in my office. I call it my 815 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:54,000 Speaker 1: truth table, and I tell my clients there's only one 816 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:56,200 Speaker 1: job you have here, one job. 817 00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:59,520 Speaker 5: Show up and tell the truth. Show up and tell 818 00:44:59,520 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 5: the truth. 819 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:04,319 Speaker 1: And when we can tell our truth, when we can 820 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:08,040 Speaker 1: really unpack this backpack of things we've been carrying for 821 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:12,280 Speaker 1: a long time, and someone acknowledges us and has empathy 822 00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:15,560 Speaker 1: and compassion, then we start to create space for hope. 823 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:17,800 Speaker 1: And I think that's even what you're talking about, is 824 00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:21,919 Speaker 1: joy and hope all mixed together, that someone will love 825 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:25,160 Speaker 1: me again and that I can rebuild a life that 826 00:45:25,239 --> 00:45:25,880 Speaker 1: I'm proud of. 827 00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:28,719 Speaker 2: It's interesting you say that piece because I think one 828 00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:30,799 Speaker 2: of the hardest things to do is sit and tell 829 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,080 Speaker 2: the truth. Like there have been things that I've recently 830 00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:34,520 Speaker 2: said of late, and I was like, I don't want 831 00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:35,840 Speaker 2: to admit this to you, but I have to to 832 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:39,320 Speaker 2: hold myself accountable to be a better version of myself 833 00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:41,000 Speaker 2: and it's like, I don't want to say it because 834 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:43,080 Speaker 2: I don't want you to be disappointed in me, but 835 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:46,279 Speaker 2: you hold space for not making me feel like I'm 836 00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:48,920 Speaker 2: a bad person for having said or done or whatever 837 00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:49,319 Speaker 2: it was. 838 00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:53,440 Speaker 1: You know, I'm never more proud of you than on 839 00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:57,960 Speaker 1: the days you come in and do that. Those are 840 00:45:58,000 --> 00:45:59,240 Speaker 1: the most proud days. 841 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:01,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, because I know that you. 842 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:05,960 Speaker 2: Because I have done that in past, and you have 843 00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:09,439 Speaker 2: still looked at me and said, Okay, let's break this down. 844 00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:12,480 Speaker 2: Like you didn't shame me. You didn't make me feel 845 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:15,879 Speaker 2: like I'm messed up. You're like, yeah, that's not right, 846 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:17,600 Speaker 2: but let's let's figure out how to. 847 00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:21,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I keep coming back to this isn't who 848 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:24,200 Speaker 1: you really are, right, Like, this isn't your true self. 849 00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:26,440 Speaker 1: And my goal always is to be a champion for 850 00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:28,440 Speaker 1: your best and true self. 851 00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:31,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, you do that so well for both of us. 852 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:33,000 Speaker 5: It's easy to do it. 853 00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:36,680 Speaker 2: Can you tell us about refuge and then especially the 854 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:38,000 Speaker 2: sliding scale of it too? 855 00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:38,560 Speaker 5: Sure. 856 00:46:39,600 --> 00:46:41,560 Speaker 1: My friend Jennifer and I co founded Refuge Center in 857 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:45,560 Speaker 1: two thousand and fives. We're twenty years in. We have 858 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:48,839 Speaker 1: seventy six therapists who provide services on a sliding fee 859 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:52,200 Speaker 1: scale based on income, So our lowest fee for those 860 00:46:52,239 --> 00:46:55,000 Speaker 1: below the poverty line and uninsured, they come for free. 861 00:46:55,440 --> 00:46:57,839 Speaker 1: And then our highest fee is one sixty five and 862 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:01,200 Speaker 1: for some people that's you know, very doable. But on 863 00:47:01,239 --> 00:47:04,600 Speaker 1: average our clients pay about seventy seven dollars per appointment. 864 00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:07,200 Speaker 1: We want to be sure that no matter who you are, 865 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:11,080 Speaker 1: where you live, job is zip code, what you've done, 866 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:13,720 Speaker 1: what's been done to you when you walk through our doors, 867 00:47:13,719 --> 00:47:16,520 Speaker 1: you deserve the very best access to care and healing. 868 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:19,960 Speaker 1: And so we not only do typical therapy, but we 869 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,880 Speaker 1: have a music therapist, we do neuro feedback, we have 870 00:47:23,080 --> 00:47:25,719 Speaker 1: art and yoga classes and so it's a pretty comprehensive 871 00:47:25,719 --> 00:47:30,360 Speaker 1: holistic thing. But what you know, our theme is everyone matters. 872 00:47:30,719 --> 00:47:32,600 Speaker 1: And again, no matter what you can pay, when you 873 00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:34,680 Speaker 1: come through our doors, you deserve good care. 874 00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:38,240 Speaker 2: Well, thank you for holding space for so many people, 875 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:41,359 Speaker 2: and I mean refuse. Refuge has changed my life and 876 00:47:41,920 --> 00:47:45,319 Speaker 2: you know I love even now. I'm still learning and 877 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:48,359 Speaker 2: growing and we just I walked the labyrinth with you 878 00:47:48,440 --> 00:47:52,440 Speaker 2: in our last session, and there's so much beauty in 879 00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:55,480 Speaker 2: the healing work. It's hard work, but it's thank you 880 00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:59,880 Speaker 2: for holding the space for the moments to continue to go. 881 00:48:00,960 --> 00:48:03,800 Speaker 5: It's my greatest honor. It's such a joy. 882 00:48:04,640 --> 00:48:07,520 Speaker 2: Amy Alexander, thank you so much for coming on wind Down. 883 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,120 Speaker 2: And yeah, I feel like you've answered so many of 884 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:14,080 Speaker 2: the questions through everything that you've talked about, So just 885 00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:18,600 Speaker 2: thank you for bringing awareness to DV and anything you 886 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:19,640 Speaker 2: want to leave the listeners with. 887 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:24,520 Speaker 3: I love that there is hope. 888 00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:29,520 Speaker 5: M m oh, yeah, that's so important. Trust yourself. 889 00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:33,520 Speaker 3: Yep, sure so I love that. 890 00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:35,520 Speaker 5: Thank you, Amy, Thank you