#43 - A Predator in Father’s Clothing: Ella McCrystal’s Rise from Victim to Healer
This episode of The Brink Podcast takes us into one of the most difficult but necessary conversations we can have. Ringo and Ridgey welcome psychotherapist, speaker, and survivor Ella McCrystal, who bravely shares her personal journey as a victim of childhood abuse at the hands of her own father. Ella brings the unique perspective of not only being a survivor but also a clinician — someone who has lived through the trauma and now works to help others heal from it. She opens up about the profound, lifelong impact of trauma on mental and emotional health, exploring the painful realities of dissociation, the complexities of parental relationships and the dark truth of how many survivors internalise guilt, shame, and responsibility that was never theirs to carry. This conversation pulls no punches but is laced with the kind of raw honesty that cuts through the silence many survivors live with.
Ringo, Ridgey, and Ella also dive into the deep cracks in the justice system, the failures to protect survivors and the broader, horrifying issue of child trafficking. Ella shares not only her own story but also insights from her therapeutic work, touching on self-harm, intrusive thoughts and the challenges of navigating intimacy and sexual development after trauma. She brings a wealth of knowledge about how trauma rewires the brain and how approaches like neuroeletric therapy and neuroplasticity can help survivors build new, healthier pathways toward recovery. The conversation is heavy, yes, but it’s also grounded in hope, resilience and the profound human capacity for healing.
While the subject matter is raw, Ella’s perspective is anything but bleak. She speaks passionately about the importance of safe spaces, compassionate rehabilitation, and the cultural conversations we must be having around abuse, healing, and forgiveness. This episode is a powerful reminder that while trauma can shape a person, it doesn’t have to define them — and that with understanding, support, and hard work, survivors can reclaim their lives. For anyone looking for an episode that goes deep but stays grounded in empathy and truth, this one’s for you.
Links to Ella and her work:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ellamccrystal/
Website: