Workshop : “The Best Kept Secret: Mother-Daughter Sexual Abuse”
Our culture denies that mothers can be sexual abuse perpetrators. Mother-daughter sexual abuse is especially under-recognized, under-researched and under-reported. This dynamic workshop describes the complex mother-daughter incestuous relationship: the subtle violations of normal mother-child boundaries, covert and overt abuse and the psychological manipulations used to silence victims. Attendees will learn intervention and prevention strategies for including mothers as potential perpetrators. Six therapeutic issues for victim recovery will be discussed. The presenter is both an experienced school counselor and a resilient survivor of maternal abuse.

• One and one-half hour format or
• Three-hour special session or pre-conference format
  (includes discussion of mother-son incest)
• For audiences of 50 to 200 people

Workshop: “Resiliency 101: From Victim to Survivor”
Although some victims of childhood abuse will repeat the cycle of violence in adulthood, many others grow to be safe, healthy, happy adults. This workshop identifies the steps critical to becoming a resilient survivor—steps that help a victim to overcome trauma and to develop a “survivor’s perspective.” Attendees will learn the obstacles to recovery, how to address them and how to use the “language of resiliency” to reinforce victims’ strengths. The presenter is both an experienced counselor and a resilient survivor of maternal sexual abuse.

• One and one-half hour format
• For audiences of 50 to 200 people

Keynote: “ ‘ But You Seem So Normal'—What We All Can Learn from Resilient Survivors of Childhood Abuse”
In the United States, a staggering number of children experience physical, sexual and emotional abuse. To address the problem of child maltreatment, we must first acknowledge the degree to which it exists by examining both statistics and case studies. Next, we need to discover the tools that many victims have used to successfully overcome their traumas and lead healthy, productive lives. Finally, we must commit our professional energy and our community resources to breaking the generational cycle of child victimization.

• Thirty minute to one-hour presentation
• For audiences of 300 to 1,500 people