The Sound of Surviving: One Survivor's Journey Through the Medical Aftermath of Trauma
This workshop uses survivor-advocate Melanie’s story to show how sexual trauma can manifest physically years later, including pelvic pain and dysfunction. Participants explore the non-linear nature of healing and the critical role of trauma-informed medical care in a survivor’s path to recovery.
Suggested Audience: All CAC & MDT members
Full Description: This workshop provides real examples of how sexual trauma can impact the body long-term, often outside of the victim's awareness. Participants will follow Survivor-Advocate Melanie’s story of sexual abuse, specifically detailing the connection between her trauma and Pelvic Pain/Dysfunction that led to diagnosis, treatment, and ultimate healing.
Melanie will share that healing is not linear, detailing how another traumatic event spurred her to face an unresolved piece of her journey. She will bravely walk participants through her diagnosis of Vaginismus, Pelvic Pain, and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction 15 years after experiencing sexual trauma, and the deep healing she achieved after getting treatment and advocating for herself and other survivors in the medical community. Through her experience, she emphasizes that healing is possible and highlights how crucial the medical component of Child Advocacy Centers (including forensic exams and forensic nursing), Pelvic Floor Specialists, and trauma-informed care in traditional medical settings is for a survivor's journey to wholeness after such a violation.
Learning Objectives:
Gain a deeper understanding from the survivor perspective about how crucial the medical component is to sexual abuse/assault cases for healing, even years down the road of the survivor’s journey.
Examine the research and intersection between medical care and psychological/physical healing and overall wellness and wholeness, focusing on the specific topic of pelvic pain/dysfunction.
Enhance current practice of trauma-informed care after hearing a survivor’s experience, and equip survivors with tools through medical practice to advocate for themselves and receive life-changing care at any point on their healing journey.
Speaker(s): Melanie Barton
