Just a heads up: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault and trafficking. Some may find it upsetting. We encourage you to take care of yourself.
Where does grief fit into the conversation around abuse and survival? Today, we’re going to unpack how compounded trauma and grief can get us stuck in a cycle of suffering. This type of suffering is what serial predators look for as they seek out their next victim. But grief is also a tool to help process trauma. It is a tool in survivors healing.
In this episode, Lisa welcomes Victoria Valentino. Victoria is a retired hospice nurse, Playboy’s Miss September 1963, author, speaker, activist, and a multi-rape, child and domestic abuse and sex trafficking survivor. Since 2014, when she went public about being a Bill Cosby survivor, she has been working to educate about rape culture, lobbying to change laws that give the power back to survivors to seek justice against their perpetrators.
Victoria walks Lisa through the life events that made her a target for Cosby and the long-windy road of her healing journey. She shares her experiences with grief, the psychology of trauma, and her expressions of survival through her art. She recently directed “SHEro: A Tribute to the Sister Survivors of Bill Cosby & to All Survivors of Sexual Violence,” a play she wrote that premiered on July 21, 2024. She also authored Dirty Diamonds: The Repurposed Life of a Playboy Icon and Cosby Survivor.
This episode is all about how it’s never too late to tell your story, process your trauma, fight for justice, and express your healing in art. We are so grateful to Victoria for her honesty and vulnerability.
From now on, I want peace.
You can follow Victoria on Instagram @victoriavalentino1 and on Facebook @victoria.valentino1. To learn more about Victoria, her art, and her activism, go to victoriavalentino.com.
Follow Lisa Phillips @iamlisaphillips on Instagram.
From Now On is produced by LA PHILLIPS MEDIA. Listen and follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
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If today’s conversation resonated with you and you are seeking more support in your own healing journey, here are some resources below:
- If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, help is available. Call 800.656.HOPE (4673)
- If you or someone you know is being trafficked, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Text 233733 (befree).
- PAVE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit creating a world free from sexual violence and building communities to support survivors.
- Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR) is dedicated to providing a safe and empowering space for survivors of sex trafficking to reclaim their stories and stand up for themselves and each other.