Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2661

Tonight's special guest is Claire O’Leary from New Castle, Colorado. "I was raised in a catholic family by my natural parents," she says, "with six kids (3 boys and 3 girls), I being right in the middle. The first time I was abused was at 5-years-old by my uncle. The second time was much more painful with my father abusing me from 16 to 18 when I finally was able to leave home after graduating from high school." She goes on, "I was angry all the time but didn't really know why until I went to therapy. After years of therapy, I moved on to alternative therapies, movement, journaling, and expressive arts which finally enabled me to speak openly about my abuse." Claire is better now. "Today I create a safe space for sexual abuse survivors to share their survivor and recovery story through creativity and writing. I founded Voices Heard, the interactive e-Zine that empowers sexual abuse survivors to shatter their long held silence through story-telling and expressive arts. I share my story of abuse as a speaker and writer in order to help heal others." She wants to get her story out. "I am also currently writing a book which is a combination of memoir and self-help to help other survivors find their voice. I recently wrote a blog which was published in IncestAware's blog." Claire concludes, “Don't wait like I did until you're 58 to heal from your unresolved trauma. The sooner you share your experience and seek help, the sooner you can live a joyful life.”