21. Bobbi Parish on Overcoming the Trauma from Sexual Abuse

Healing from trauma and abuse can feel daunting and overwhelming. As I have been working hard to overcome the abuse in my life, I have come to realize that I am not alone.

Healing alone is difficult, nearly impossible from what I have seen. Finding Bobbi and Athena’s support group, along with an amazing counselor that has loved me unconditionally made all the difference.

So I asked one of the wonderful ladies that run the secret support group I am a part of, to share her story, along with hope and belief that we all can heal, and we can do it together. LIsten on Anchor: Here 

Picture of Bobbi Parish

 

 

Bobbi is a Trauma Recovery Coach. She finds coaching incredibly healing and prefers to coach as to the counseling she used to do.

She and her business partner, Athena Moberg, founded Trauma University.

Unconditional Love

How do you know how to love yourself when you are raised in an environment full of abuse, obligation, mind control, blame, and dishonesty?

Her therapist, Gabrielle taught her and loved Bobbi unconditionally, from her, she learned how to love herself.

She helped her find a hospital, that had a ward that specialized in trauma recovery. Bobbi committed herself for a 10-day stay and that was the pivot point.

They made her part of the treatment team, told her they supported her, believed her and would help her make things better. They formed a plan to help her cope with things once she left and spent 10 days doing some deep recovery work.

Bobbi went on to get her masters, had a period of homelessness, married, had a child, divorced and she still struggled with horrible depression.

Helping Others

Then 3 years ago, imperfect and flawed and full of shame, she showed up and instead of people looking at her as if she was discussing, they embraced her. She stood up and said, “here I am”, she helped other survivors and loved unconditionally. 

We talk about how support groups give love, courage and really help to make us feel accepted and normal.

Bobbi touched on the difference between PTSD from a one-time event or someone who was raised with multiple events that lead to PTSD.

“We learn that the only reality to keep ourselves safe is our abuser’s reality”.  We learn to distrust our own eyes, we fear being shamed, belittled, and punished as we did as a child.

Listen here for the whole interview with Bobbi Parish.

Links

Listen to the whole interview: Here