August 2018: What would you do if you saw a man being abused?

It's so important, as we continue to evolve the #metoo movement, that we consider the stories of male survivors. So this year, I've been making a pointed effort to speak to more men about the abuse they have experienced across the span of their lives. It's been so amazing to connect with Johnnie Calloway, who shared his story of being abused by his step-mom, Matt Pappas who talked about navigating the sometimes overwhelming journey of healing, Dolan Mayeda who explored how he overcame shame, and Patrick Bennet whowrote about his experience of being abused by a priest. Beyond that, I've read the many posts shared by men in my Healing from Sexual Abuse Facebook group.  I've joined forces with Male Survivors United to support them in their efforts to create safe spaces for men to come together in community. I also completed my second group program for men and was so inspired and blown away by the way these men came together and the powerful healing work they did. What has become clear to me is that we still have a lot of work to do to make sure that male survivors have access to resources, are taken seriously and are not ostracized or pushed to the edges of a movement that I believe needs to embrace all stories of trauma. This will require that we overcome our social biases towards men (check out the video below to see what I mean!). And while there is plenty of work to do, I am also encouraged to see more and more men coming forward, especially celebrities who are using their fame to open up conversations, such as Shia LaBeouf, Tyler Perry,Tim Roth, Junot Diaz, and most recently Terry Crews. If you are a male survivor and are looking for resources, please go hereand also feel free to reach out to me if there is anything I can do to be a support to you. For my female readers, I want to encourage you today to keep an eye out in your community for the men who may be silently suffering. We know that 1 in 5 men have experienced sexual abuse - so it's likely there is someone in your community who you have more in common with than you might think! Healing for all, Watch how people respond when a woman abuses a man in public Read 10 Characteristics of Emotionally Abusive Women What biases do you have about abuse based on gender?

BOOK OF THE MONTH The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist   This liberating book shows us that examining our attitudes toward money―earning it, spending it, and giving it away―offers surprising insight into our lives. Through personal stories and practical advice, Lynne Twist asks us to discover our relationship with money, understand how we use it, and by assessing our core human values, align our relationship with it to our desired goals. In doing so, we can transform our lives.   READ MORE HERE! UPCOMING EVENTS Join Me for This Live Master Class! August 29th, 3:30p PT / 6:30p ET   Are you fed up with feeling like a doormat? Are you so busy rescuing everybody else that you can't take care of yourself? One of the greatest impacts of abuse is we develop an inability to speak up for ourselves, ask for what we need, or honestly communicate what we think or feel about a situation. We feel compelled to conceal, to hide our genuine thoughts, feelings, and, ultimately, ourselves. So how in the world are we going to be able to set boundaries!? Boy have I been there! And I can't wait to share with you what helped me put an end to running away from communicating so I could finally set the boundaries in my life that were needed in order to feel safe, free up my time and energy, and finally break free of taking care of everyone else but me. BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS 60-MIN MASTER CLASS, YOU WILL: Gain access to two kick ass strategies that will empower you to speak up Explore in a safe step-by-step way the impact that not setting boundaries is having on your life and relationships Identify the actions you can take when someone doesn't respect your boundaries so you can feel safer and more confident Learn practical, easy to use strategies for how to put an end to taking care of everybody else   REGISTER HERE   August Topic: Trust & Safety Because the people we trusted as children ended up betraying and abandoning us, we often end up as adult survivors preoccupied, if not obsessed, with safety. We may live in a chronic state of hyper-vigilance, waiting and watching for the first signs of danger, and interpreting – or misinterpreting – events accordingly. Learn More & Register Here Rachel Grant, M.A. Counseling Psychology Sexual Abuse Recovery Coach 415.484.5682 www.rachelgrantcoaching.com "What you think, you create"