In our last episode, we talked about Susan Powell who was a victim of domestic violence. Many of her friends talked about Josh's strange behavior and the recalled things that should have been warning signs. Today we talk to an expert on the topic, Ashley Bendiksen. She will tell us her story of survival, what signs to watch out for and how to safely leave a toxic relationship. Ashley Bendiksen is an acclaimed survivor speaker and award-winning activist, speaking and training nationally on the topics of domestic violence, teen dating violence, sexual assault, and bystander intervention. She also delivers motivational keynotes on resilience and leadership. Passionate about helping others reshape and redesign their lives as she once did, Ashley also offers coaching and consulting services for victims and survivors, and life empowerment coaching for women. Ashley’s professional background includes 11+ years as a speaker, a career spanning victim services, advocacy, and PR. She holds a B.S. in Administration of Justice, graduating as Valedictorian of her class - years after dropping out because of domestic violence. She also remains active on numerous boards and initiatives and serves as an Ambassador for several national organizations. ----- Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram! You can also join our Patreon for even more episodes and exclusive content!    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices