241: When Too Much Love is Not Enough with Dr. Rosenna Bakari
Today’s show focuses on a topic that doesn’t get enough attention, which is the relationship between early childhood abuse and our ability to be happy, healthy, and successful adults. Let’s take a deeper look with my guest.
Dr. Rosenna Bakari is an author, advocate, and scholar. She’s been busy writing about breaking the silence of sexual violence and helping adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Rosenna is not just a survivor but a thriver. She’s also a psychologist who knows how to help people process their early trauma and find the strength to thrive. I’ve found that the healthiest response to childhood emotional wounds is also the rarest response, which is to feel in order to let things go. Acknowledging the feelings is the way to try out a new set of patterns and ways of being. Rosenna is a role model and voice for those who need support through the different flavors of trauma. Her book is Too Much Love is Not Enough: A Memoir of Childhood Sexual Abuse.
Music Credit: My good friend Lindsay Katt – https://lindsaykatt.bandcamp.com/track/stick-by-me
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Show Highlights:
The reason Rosenna started writing about childhood sexual abuse when she began living openly as an incest survivor
The lack of resources for adult survivors of childhood sexual trauma
The nuances of the narratives in our heads
The connections between sexual abuse and addictions, eating disorders, domestic violence, and imprisonment
How Rosenna created Talking Trees in 2010 to give voice to and for survivors where there was no language
How people with a history of trauma can hold patterns of hypervigilance in relationships
Learning to have patience and self-compassion as you heal
The importance of being in an environment where you are allowed to make mistakes
How Rosenna took the first step toward empowerment
Giving yourself permission to fail—and forgiving yourself when you do
Why Rosenna went into gender work, teaching body autonomy
The foundational elements in taking care of the physical self: teaching women to protect and create
The shame and disbelief that comes with sexual abuse
One rule that people live by that Rosenna would like to rewrite
Resources:
www.talkingtreessurvivors.comToo Much Love is Not Enough: A Memoir of Childhood Sexual Abuse by Rosenna Bakari
