Sexual Assault Survivor Stories

Sexual Assault Survivor Stories -SASS- is a weekly podcast designed for the purpose of providing victims and survivors of sexual assault and rape information and a forum to better understand the complexities, adversities, victories, and all the dynamics of surviving and healing. But it's not just for victims and survivors! It's a podcast of learning about trauma-informed interviewing and the neuroscience of trauma and memory, understanding the victim impact of rape and sexual assault, knowing how to recognize the psychophysiological responses of interpersonal trauma, and developing healing strategies and best-practice responses for all of these components. And the main goal of the podcast is to help bring justice to victims and survivors, recognizing that the best way to do this is by talking about our experiences and spreading information...because we all know someone who has been affected by sexual assault or rape.

Sexual Assault Survivor Stories is a education podcast hosted by Dave Markel, with 201 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Dave Markel hosts Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, a education show with 201 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #203

  203. Dr. Peter Verdin: "Gold in the Cracks"

  Aug 19, 202652 minS4

  For twenty-five years, Dr. Peter Verdin carried the truth of his childhood sexual abuse largely in silence. During those years, he became an accomplished athlete, playing four seasons for the University of Georgia and being drafted by the Washington Nationals. He later earned a doctorate in human and sport performance and worked as a coach and educator. His achievements were real, but they could not protect him from the trauma that continued to affect his mental health, physical well being, relationships, and sense of identity. In this episode, Peter speaks candidly about grooming, manipulation, fragmented memory, complex PTSD, and the toll of trying to keep painful experiences contained. He describes entering EMDR therapy, reconnecting with the detective who helped bring his abuser to justice, and beginning difficult but necessary conversations with his parents. He also explains why writing became an essential part of his recovery and allowed him to look at his life with greater understanding and far less shame. That writing became Peter's forthcoming memoir, Gold in the Cracks: A Memoir of Silence, Performance, and Repair. Inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, the book does not present healing as the erasure of damage. It recognizes the possibility of rebuilding a life while allowing its history to remain visible. Peter's story is deeply personal, but his decision to tell it offers recognition to survivors who have spent years appearing strong while privately carrying far more than anyone knew. Learn more at Gold in the Cracks. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://goldinthecracksofficial.com https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #202

  202. The Betrayal Was Intimate: Understanding Coercive Sexual Assault

  Aug 12, 202624 minS4

  Several of my recent guests have described sexual assault that occurred within an intimate relationship and was accomplished through coercion rather than immediately recognizable physical force. Some of the responses I received to those conversations made me realize how deeply misunderstood this form of sexual violence remains. In this episode, I draw upon my experience as a former detective and longtime trainer of sexual assault investigators to examine what coercion actually looks like and why the absence of visible force should never be mistaken for the presence of consent. Coercion rarely exists within the boundaries of one isolated sexual encounter. Its meaning may be found in the history of the relationship, where previous threats, intimidation, retaliation, financial control, or violence have already established what refusing will cost. Once an offender has created that environment, very little may need to be said in the moment. A gesture, a change in tone, or a few seemingly ordinary words can carry a meaning that is unmistakable to the person who has learned what comes next. I also explore the neuroscience behind coercive abuse, including the brain's ability to recognize patterns of danger, the effects of chronic stress on the nervous system, and the ways trauma can influence attention, memory, perception, and decision making. This understanding is especially important for investigators and other professionals who may otherwise misinterpret delayed disclosure, fragmented memory, continued contact with the offender, or the absence of physical resistance. Coercive sexual assault cannot be understood by examining the victim's response while ignoring the conditions the offender deliberately created. The central issue is not whether a victim resisted visibly or forcefully enough. It is whether fear, intimidation, threats, or an established pattern of coercion deprived that person of the freedom required to make a genuine sexual choice. An intimate relationship does not diminish that violation. It makes the betrayal more intimate. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #201

  201. Hannah King (Part 3): Still Hurting. Still Healing. Still Here.

  Aug 5, 202656 minS4

  This week I conclude my three-part conversation with Hannah King. What began with the night she was drugged and violently sexually assaulted has become a much larger story about everything rape can leave behind. Hannah speaks from where she is now, still carrying profound pain while trying to find her way forward. Her journey reminds us that survival can contain grief, anger, uncertainty, courage, and hope all at once, and that a survivor's voice matters even before every wound has healed. Hannah is blunt and forthright. She's honest and transparent. Her strength is unmistakable and commendable. She's all of this, all at once. I hope you take the time to listen to all 3 of her episodes, because what she says and how she says it is powerful and healing. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you and hearing your input on the stories and guests featured on this show. Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #200

  200. Hannah King (Part 2): What Rape Took From Her Didn't End That Night

  Jul 29, 202623 minS4

  This week on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I continue my conversation with Hannah King in Part Two of a three-part series. Episode 200 picks up directly where Part One ended, allowing Hannah to continue telling her story in her own words and at her own pace. In Part One, Hannah began sharing her experience of being drugged and violently sexually assaulted while outside the United States. She also began describing the devastating impact the assault had on her life. In this second installment, I continue my conversation with Hannah as she shares more of an experience that is deeply personal, painful, and difficult to revisit. I'm presenting Hannah's story across three episodes so that it can be heard without being rushed or reduced to a brief account of what happened to her. If you haven't listened to Part One, I encourage you to begin there before continuing with this episode. Part Three and the conclusion of my conversation with Hannah will be released next week. Episode 200 is also an important milestone for the SASS Podcast. Reaching this point has only been possible because of the survivors who have trusted me with their stories and the listeners who continue to hear them, share them, and support the mission of this show. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #199

  199. Hannah King (Part 1): The Long Road Begins Here

  Jul 22, 202645 minS4

  Some stories simply can't be told in a single conversation. This week begins a special three-part series with Hannah King, whose life changed forever after she was drugged and violently sexually assaulted while traveling outside the United States. In the months that followed, she found herself unable to return to the work she loved while focusing instead on surviving the emotional, psychological, and physical effects of trauma. Supported by her family, she began the difficult process of rebuilding a life that had been unexpectedly interrupted. In Part One, Hannah shares the beginning of that journey. Rather than rushing through the details, she takes us into the reality of what happened and the immediate aftermath that followed. Her willingness to speak openly about those first days and weeks provides an honest look at how profoundly trauma can affect every aspect of a survivor's life. This conversation lays the foundation for the deeper discussions that will continue in Parts Two and Three. One of the things I hope you'll hear throughout this series is that healing is rarely a straight line. Recovery isn't measured by how quickly someone "gets over it." Instead, it's often found in the quiet decision to keep moving forward one day at a time. Hannah's courage in sharing her experience is a gift to survivors everywhere, and I believe each episode in this series builds upon the one before it. If Hannah's story resonates with you, I hope you'll not only share this episode, but also return next week as her journey continues in Part Two. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-daughter-rebuild-her-life-after-assault?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGn42fXw4WgcITWIo_CZ5J14iLwQV2ry6GbodnzD0Zm6Vg0oP5ohPyGusU-aYI https://www.instagram.com/thehannahbking/?hl=en https://1in6.org/ https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in. -Dave

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.