Reunion Online

Every October, we honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month. DVAM is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of these issues, share resources, and most importantly, support survivors.

This post is by guest author Kalimah Johnson, founder and chair of SASHA Center, a sexual assault service, prevention, and educational agency designed to provide educational and support groups to survivors of sexual assault.

Every October, we honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month. DVAM is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of these issues, share resources, and most importantly, support survivors.

This year, Joyful Heart is honoring DVAM by sharing tools for supporting survivors with our community. Each week, we are covering a new topic and invite and encourage you to share these tools with your community, as well as share stories about how to put them into practice.

This week’s tip is: Validate.

Every October, we honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month. DVAM is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of these issues, share resources, and most importantly, support survivors.

This year, Joyful Heart is honoring DVAM by sharing tools with our community to best support survivors. Each week, we will cover a new topic and invite and encourage you to share these tools with your community, as well as share stories about how to put them into practice.

This week’s tool is: Listen.

October is around the corner. With the changing season comes another important time of the year: Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month, or DVAM, is observed every year throughout the month of October. DVAM is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of these issues, share resources, and most importantly, support survivors.

My adult self had already processed and come to accept the fact that mother was never going to make amends to me or change. On the other hand, my inner child was sad and upset. My inner child was still hoping that my mother would sit down and talk with me, tell me she loved me, and was sorry for the abuse she both allowed and inflicted on me. Now that will never happen, and my inner child will have a bit more healing to do.

Many believe it is not necessary to forgive the person who hurt you, in order to heal.

Cases like this—and all that they represent—hit home for me in many ways. They touch me deeply as someone who has been immersed in these issues all of my life, as a survivor working to heal every day from the trauma of sexual violence, and as an advocate for my entire career.

On Wednesday, October 5th, I flew over the beautiful, rugged landscape of western New Mexico, bound for Phoenix.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Follow us as we share information about the issue, how to support a survivor, and ways to get involved.