Safe Space Radio

In this episode of Safe Space Radio, Rachel Grant talks about the sexual abuse she suffered as a ten-year-old and the work she has done to counteract its lasting impact on her life. Rachel became a coach because she wanted to be able to use her own story as a way to help others. The post Beyond Survival with Rachel Grant appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

Child advocate Brie Masselli discusses her own experience growing up in a home with domestic violence. Brie tells the story of running to school to escape her stepfather’s violent outbursts, and how her childhood struggles in and out of school were missed by those who might have helped. Brie speaks about the ways that children internalize the ways that they are spoken to, and how emotional abuse undermines their confidence and sense of self. Brie now works as an advocate to help caregivers in schools and hospitals perceive the indirect signals of distress from kids. The post Emotional Abuse in Violent Homes with Brie Masselli appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

Dr. Vincent Felitti talks about his groundbreaking research to show that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s, like abuse, neglect and severe family dysfunction) are correlated not only with mental illness and addiction, but also with physical illnesses like heart disease, lung disease and even auto-immune diseases. The post Child Abuse and Physical Health 25 Years Later with Vincent Felitti appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Dr. Vincent Felitti talking about his groundbreaking work discovering the high prevalence of child sexual abuse among those who are obese. In his clinic, 55% of patients coming in for treatment of obesity had histories of child abuse. When the patients were asked, many discussed eating as a form of comfort for painful feelings. He reports that obesity treatment programs that do not address the underlying problems of early childhood painful experiences will not be able to address the heart of the problem. The post Child Abuse and Physical Health with Vincent Felitti appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Bob Stains of the Public Conversations Project. He talks about the use of restraints on patients in mental hospitals and discusses facilitating a series of conversations in which both the workers who apply restraints and the people to whom restraints have been applied are able to talk about their experiences and be heard by each other. The post Restraints in Mental Hospitals with Bob Stains appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Laura Chasin, the founder of the Public Conversations Project, talking about her work facilitating a dialogue between leaders of the pro-life and pro-choice movements in Boston after the abortion clinic shootings in 1994. The post Talking to the Enemy with Laura Chasin appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

Tim Wilson is a senior advisor to Seeds of Peace, an organization that brings youth from war-torn countries together for dialogue and mediation at a camp in Maine each summer. Tim describes the way that trust, respect, and communication are practiced at camp to build relationships that can foster peace throughout a lifetime. He remembers witnessing an exchange between a Palestinian camper and an Israeli camper that affected relationships throughout camp. We also speak about his own formative experience losing a family member to the Klu Klux Klan, and how his parents had helped him overcome bitterness and hatred. The post Fostering Difficult Conversations with Tim Wilson appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Hussein Ahmed, a business owner in Lewiston, Maine. He describes his journey from Somalia, the ten years he spent in refugee camps in Kenya, and the challenges of finding work in the U.S. due to language barriers, cultural uncertainties and religious stereotypes. Hussein is optimistic that with modifications in certain banking practices, Somalis can become even more effective entrepreneurs and add to the future of the Lewiston-Auburn area in Maine. The post Somalis in the Maine Workforce with Hussein Ahmed appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

Maria Padian is author of Out of Nowhere, about friendships between Somali and Franco-Catholic high school students in Maine. Maria talks about her own experience with four immigrant grandparents, and how different it is to come here as an immigrant, eager to build a new life, than to come as a refugee, having had to flee a war and the loss of loved ones. She describes many moments of well-intentioned misunderstandings as the students build friendships across multiple layers of difference. The post High School Friendships with Maria Padian appeared first on Safe Space Radio.

Mohammed Dini is Executive Director of the African Diaspora Institute, founder of Portland Forward, and former candidate for state representative. Mohammed talks about his experience moving to Maine at age 13 and learning to identify himself as a Mainer. He also explores the Somali concept of furfurnaan, which means openness, inviting an open-hearted dialogue about our differences so that we can learn from each other. The post Talking about Difference with Mohammed Dini appeared first on Safe Space Radio.