Genesis The Podcast Genesis Women's Shelter

Heena Khan of Uplift Counseling Services shares the benefits and how-to's of child-centered play therapy for trauma survivors. We explore the play room experience, sand tray therapy, expressive arts and movement activities for young children, teens and young adults, and how these approaches heal trauma. Heena Khan is a LPC-S whose approach to therapy is holistic. In her own words: "I provide child-centered play therapy for children so they can learn to regulate their behaviors, express & manage their big feelings without hurting themselves or others. I’ve seen significantly positive outcomes in parents and children that struggle with cooperation and discipline. I provide families with evidenced based therapy & support that supports kids and empowers parents with confidence so they can discipline without hurting and resolve conflicts peacefully."

Sexual grief has many dimensions and is defined by therapist and grief expert Edy Nathan as "a natural response to an unnatural sexually traumatic event or experience that makes you feel as if you are being held hostage."  It is through this lens that this episode explores a wide range of aspects about sexual grief including survivor experiences of rape, sexual violence, sexual abuse, disenfranchised grief from the loss of a partner, the impact of pornography, and more. We also take an in-depth look at healing sexual grief and related trauma through self-regulation methods like breathwork, labyrinth exploration, talk therapy, and using more precise language when discussing experiences of grief. Listen to the end of the episode for information about a special event with Edy Nathan coming up in September 2023: The Inner Voyage Women’s Empowerment Cruise with specific workshops by Nathan focused on sexual grief.
Edy Nathan is an author, public speaker and licensed therapist. She is an AASECT certified sex therapist, hypnotherapist and certified EMDR practitioner with more than 20 years of experience. Edy earned degrees from New York University and Fordham University, with post-graduate training at the Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy. She practices in New York City.

An arranged marriage with an awkward start explodes into abuse just weeks after its beginning. It would take two decades for Kanchan Bhaskar to untangle from the man who was a stranger that became her husband and ultimately her abuser. Ms. Bhaskar has authored the new memoir "Leaving: How I Set Myself Free from an Abusive Marriage" and joins the show to share her story. Listen to the end of the episode for an excerpt from the book read by the author.

You have likely heard the question or perhaps even asked it yourself - why doesn’t she just leave? But when a woman is in an abusive relationship her options of leaving can be challenging and often put her at higher risk for violence and possible lethality. And besides, where would she go? Many believe that a shelter is the go-to option for getting to safety and support. But that is not always the case. Today Jordyn Lawson, Chief Residential Officer at Genesis helps us address the question of how can we effectively utilize and refer victims of domestic violence to shelter services? In this episode we review the history of the shelter movement for victims of domestic violence, when shelter is the best option for a victim, and other opportunities and resources such as safety planning, legal services, advocacy and other services that might better support women escaping an abusive partner.

Learn about the 3-day, 12-hour training for mental health clinicians and attorneys working to support adult and child victims and survivors of coercive control offered by Dr. Christine Cocchiola, a licensed clinical social worker and intimate partner abuse advocate researching the topic of Coercive Control, including child maltreatment and trauma. Additional training options for coaches and those interested in guardian ad litem opportunities available. CE’s pending. 

Death is a part of life. But how we deliver the news of loss is a complicated situation that requires compassion and skill. We spend time with Russell Strand who explains the human side of sharing devastating news with families and loved ones, and his unique training method for compassionate death notification. 
Senior Special Agent (Retired) Russell W. Strand is the owner and creative visionary of Effective Detective LLC, an organization focused on criminal justice multidisciplinary education and training, primary prevention, technical assistance, and systems improvement. Russ is a seasoned consultant, educator, and trainer passionate about protecting those who cannot protect themselves. His Compassionate Death Notification training program explores the challenges of and best practices for conducting effective and compassionate notifications. According to Russell Strand, death notification training and education are not standard in many professional courses – professionals are often left to struggle through on their own. Although well-intentioned, harm can be done by delivering death notifications if professionals providing the news are not well-prepared or trained. Also, delivering such life-shattering information can greatly impact the “bearer” of bad news. Experiencing the struggles, suffering, and pain of fellow human beings is some of the most impactful and challenging tasks first responders and other helping professionals may endure. This episode explores topics of death, homicide, femicide, suicide, end-of-life situations, and how to prepare for and deliver the news of a loved one's passing.
A quote from Russell Strand: "To touch another human heart in the time of their greatest need with true compassion is perhaps the greatest privilege of all, for this is the very core of humanity."