3 Journeys. 3 Voices. 1 Mission to Continue the Conversation on Sexual Assault

On this episode of the Jennasis Speaks podcast, I check back in with a few of our past guests, Amy Stack and Laura Steinbrink. We discuss how our episodes have impacted each of us, what we’ve learned and how we continue our healing journey.

Transcript

Jennifer Malcolm: 0:10

Calling all women who are curious and called Transformative Power of Women's Stories where every woman has a inviting Amy Stack back and Laura Steinbrink back, both who ladies.

Amy Stack: 1:07

Thank you.

Laura Steinbrink: 1:08

It's nice to be back.

Jennifer Malcolm: 1:10

It is nice to back. It's fun to see like, it's an adolescent. And through your vulnerability and through your sexual assault that happened five, six years ago now. And to that for a long time. And it's brought healing in ways as well, to think you're welcome. So let's take a couple story. And how did that impact you? Coming out of that? Did you

Amy Stack: 3:14

The first day like, I actually went right from my out. I can't believe I said that. And I think I even said to had privately shared it with, you know, a handful of people published, and it was out there. I had like the fear and sense.

Jennifer Malcolm: 4:35

No, very good. And what about you, Laura?

Laura Steinbrink: 4:39

So I think, um, I would say my experience the shame and like almost the empowerment for I'll keep you, Jennifer, for making this platform. Yes. So thank you.

Jennifer Malcolm: 5:28

And just an A 32nd recap, because some people the stories, but in 30 seconds or less, and we'll start with

Laura Steinbrink: 5:56

Thanks, Jennifer. So I shared the story overall coaching of my experience.

Jennifer Malcolm: 6:19

And Amy, want to give a quick recap of your

Amy Stack: 6:22

Yeah, I had shared a similar story with somebody who I listened to Laura's and you are so brave, I'm so happy that

Jennifer Malcolm: 7:05

Yeah, thank you. And for those of you who considered a very safe environment, felt woozy and woke having in common. And for me, after my interview that I gave too. And the women that had come out to share their stories of and women coming forward, whether it was from childhood, women just facing trauma. And together, we can come together either of you have that experience? We'll start with

Amy Stack: 9:06

Yeah, actually, um, I was very overwhelmed with the courage to share was hearing somebody else share years ago, this I don't want to tell anybody My story is the your story. And if you, you know, you need to share it and going to be critics of you, I think, no matter what you say, safe place, and people just kind of flock to you, I think,

Jennifer Malcolm: 10:45

That's good. What about you, Laura, do you

Laura Steinbrink: 10:53

Um, so I already was in communication the bravery. And the appreciation for saying this

Jennifer Malcolm: 11:45

That's good. No, that's really good. If we're hindsight you're like, that would have been impactful to

Laura Steinbrink: 12:10

What was interesting that I was in your say this, the way you interviewed and you did participate wholly and with you know, you would give me all once

Jennifer Malcolm: 13:00

That's great feedback. What about for you,

Amy Stack: 13:03

I agree with Laura, I think you did a great job. Just important. I think there's always going to be you know, And I think I did listen to it, which I was not going to listen know, we had kind of gone left and right. And I think that's add together into this one beautiful, you know, work so...

Jennifer Malcolm: 14:13

That's good. And it was interesting because on to advocacy and believing other people and resource and to a Bri traumatize myself or be regrets What I said or, and I the conversation. And that's the whole point a podcast is I want it's supposed to be. And I trust that. Can I jump in on that?

Laura Steinbrink: 15:35

Absolutely. So in your organic not interviewing that the details don't matter. And, you know, Amy said she, her And what are we able to do with it? Or how does it trap us? And what I think you were able to pull out from all of these

Jennifer Malcolm: 16:43

That's good.

Amy Stack: 16:44

Yeah, I think I think absolutely, like, what is the like I had to hide part of my, my upbringing I had shared, you it's just the freedom that comes from speaking. You know, who you

Jennifer Malcolm: 17:45

Yeah, any of you ever think that we did this over zoom and we can see each other. But it's it's looking and freedom. And so it's that peace of looking into the mirror continue to do maybe to self care, self love, journal yoga,

Laura Steinbrink: 19:02

Yeah in my podcast, I talked about moments in time had a grip over me. But it's funny because like help through her work. And it's just not something that people But she she graduated me she like then kicked me out of her worse that that piece of the chapter closed. But again, it's suffers this kind of trauma is ready to move past it, it can be

Jennifer Malcolm: 20:55

Oh, that's awesome. That's great.

Amy Stack: 20:56

That's so cool.

Jennifer Malcolm: 20:59

What about for you, Amy?

Amy Stack: 21:02

Um, well, I've always kind of process things writing. know, and then I think part of what, you know, I'm turning 40 time. So one of the things I think positive that came out of see, actually, like, I just, I'm just taking care of myself. I'm really hadn't. I'm really just again, I'm just more free. I'm

Jennifer Malcolm: 22:31

That's awesome. me chills. And I did

Amy Stack: 22:42

Of course, it never looks like that after but that's

Jennifer Malcolm: 22:45

You have pictures to prove it. So I've you know, I was sexually abused in college, and you're the first And I'm now 60 years old, and tears still streaming down the therapists, the three of us are not trained, you know, medical I'm saying now what? Well, what do we do with this? Do you guys

Amy Stack: 24:13

I'm actually pursuing my master's degree in counseling to listen. And I want to cry with people who want to cry, and with them. You know, I mean, it sounds so basic and it, but I feedbacks to my interview. And they were kind of both in the like minded with me, right. And so I think there's a huge work a Bible verse that talks about how we're to comfort people the I need to do something now. And my wheels are turning, but I

Jennifer Malcolm: 26:28

Yay, no, and I love that you hit on that, vitamins podcast that she did this year, you know, she said your, you know, Pastor, and it just was a surface level and Nellies out there that said something, because it does need here?

Laura Steinbrink: 27:39

So I think this is what I would how I would community around the openness and the sharing and the Speaks could be that and I am a huge fan and would love to

Jennifer Malcolm: 28:44

Yeah. Good.

Amy Stack: 28:46

Amen. I'm with you. Yeah,

Jennifer Malcolm: 28:49

So good. And Laura, did you have any direct

Laura Steinbrink: 29:07

So um, I feel like there's a level of see it or hear about it? Like it was all over the Facebook? It's to my podcast, right? What there was an element of Aha, because I whatever they said to me so that I guess that's the that's the it or to meet us back with some level of emotional intelligence. time. So I but I, I'll just say that again, like there's some

Amy Stack: 31:16

I think there's, I think there's different groups abuse part of it makes it even more taboo. And so I think person for a long time, I don't think there's any shame in that a very critical ear. And by that I don't mean necessarily to be that that follow up to have, we have to function, there to applaud you. I just, that is such an amazing accomplishment that's where, you know, we get lost, where this is what, what I know when I share anything at all, that's any degree of it on a deeper level like this, that affirmation is, is healing some degree, couldn't say anything. And you're like,

Jennifer Malcolm: 34:28

And for me, I have found that when I have gone compassion, is his birth. It's like this well of empathy and this, that the things that happened to us, or maybe we they're now our secret superpower women, you know, audience as we wrap this one out. So, Laura, we'll start with

Laura Steinbrink: 35:53

Um, so I want to, again, just, I feel like this is something that you're starting, that's building and it you know, in a journey, but then the some of the challenges that Amy and I and you share around sexual abuse.

Jennifer Malcolm: 36:53

So good. I just wrote that down, I got

Amy Stack: 37:03

That's like a well, it's funny when, when you were ripping it all up into all these little pieces, and you spend much stronger is that when you start stacking it on top of each our own spaces to try to mend those, those little pieces of of aspects of my story I did not share. You know, I know women people were to hear one thing that whatever I would say it's much stronger.

Jennifer Malcolm: 38:52

That's good. And that's something we hit on just down. And you know, Laura's on that shortlist of people so that community aspect is where we strengthen each other paper on top of each other. We become pillars of strength for

Laura Steinbrink: 39:53

Good.

Jennifer Malcolm: 39:54

Awesome. Well, I am again honored to be on And anyone who's listening, they know please like, feel free and that we believe you and it's not about the details. It's

Amy Stack: 40:38

Thank you.

Laura Steinbrink: 40:38

Thank you.

Jennifer Malcolm: 40:39

You're very welcome. All right. Well, that's show, one of the best things you can do is to share it with a