Meet Emily: She Wants to Talk to You About the Power of Sharing Your Story

Meet Emily. She’s the newest addition to the HER team as our Outreach and Programming Intern.

Emily may look familiar to many of you—she’s also the host of our podcast! We’re so excited for Emily to host her first webinar with us, and we thought this would be a good time for you to get to know her better.

Here’s a quick Q&A we did with Emily.

Question: What’s your background with DV education?
Emily: I worked at a domestic violence organization in Bozeman, MT for five years as their Outreach Coordinator. As part of my job, I spearheaded all of their community education efforts. I also created a program called End the Silence that helped prepare survivors to share their stories with the community in order to teach about domestic violence through their first-person narrative. 

Q: What’s one takeaway you want survivors to get from your webinar?
E: I'd love to help get the wheels turning for any survivor who is considering sharing their stories and explore the different ways that it could look for them! 

Q: What’s your best advice for someone struggling with sharing their story?
E: Be kind and gentle with yourself. Being vulnerable and sharing your story can be hard and scary and that is 100% okay. It takes time. To whom, when, where, why and how you share your story is totally up to you. 

Q: How can sharing your story be an important element for your healing?
E: I have experienced many survivors who feel like they aren't "allowed" to share their stories because their abuser conditioned them to keep the abuse a secret. It can be an empowering experience to take back your story and use your voice.

Q: Is it okay if I don't want to share my story?
E: Of course! You never have to share your story if you don't want to or if you don't feel ready. You can also choose to share some details and not others, or no details at all. You can share at whatever pace you feel is right for you.

Q: What are some of the different options for sharing my story?
E: Here are some different ways you can explore sharing your story:

• Try writing in a journal. Sharing your story doesn't always have to be with other people. It can also be just for yourself.
• Share with a trained professional. Therapy is a great way to process out loud with someone who is trained to support your healing. 
• You can share with a safe person first. Sharing your story with a trusted person in a one-on-one setting can be less overwhelming than public sharing. 
• Write for We are HER. The HER blog is a totally confidential way to put your story out there for others to read.
• Take over the HER social media accounts in a Survivor Takeover. You can share your story in a supportive online community.
• Learn about starting a HER chapter in your community in order to meet, connect and share with other survivors. 
• Apply to be on the HER podcast! 

Save your spot for Emily’s webinar here!