Rooted in Healing – Details, episodes & analysis

In the beginning, joy is the goal. In the process, joy is the tool. We often treat movement work as a cycle of endless seriousness and burnout—but what if joy is actually a requirement for survival? In this episode, we’re reclaiming our right to feel good and redefining what joy looks like in the wake of trauma.

We’re challenging the idea that advocacy must be devoid of light and exploring why joy is an imperative, radical part of the healing journey.

Inside the Conversation:

• Joy as a Resource: Shifting from seeing joy as a "reward" to using it as a practical tool for healing.

• The Radical Pivot: Challenging the "culture of depletion" in advocacy and movement work.

• Defining Your Light: What does joy actually look like in practice, and how do we make space for it?

We are joined by Sarah Walters, former Resource and Outreach Coordinator at National Sexual Violence Resource Center, to discuss how we can center joy as a form of resistance and restoration.

When sexual violence is weaponized for control, the wounds reach across generations. In this episode, we explore how historical trauma from war-related atrocities manifests in our bodies and relationships today. We’re moving beyond the battlefield to discuss how advocates can support deep, generational healing.

Inside the Conversation:

• The Legacy of Trauma: How historical wounds shape communities long after a conflict ends.

• The Body’s Memory: How war-related trauma impacts physical health and modern relationships.

• Culturally Rooted Healing: The vital role of grassroots organizations in navigating complex political and social contexts.

We are joined by Helen Perry—Global Health Expert, Nurse Practitioner, and Veteran—to discuss building a path toward collective restoration and empowerment.

What is organizational identity? Well, during the course of the SADI project, SADI sites realized they weren’t all that clear on what that meant.

This brings us to our next key SADI lesson: To be truly effective, programs must have a clear organizational identity as a provider of services for survivors of sexual violence. On today’s episode, we are chatting with Taylor Teichman, Youth Development Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) initiative and a former technical assistance provider for the SADI project.

A basic tenet of the Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative was that effective sexual assault services could not happen if there is not an understanding and direct response to racism and oppression. Programs that do not endorse and enact an anti-racism/ oppression approach will be limited in their capacity to serve survivors from marginalized groups. Today we are unpacking anti-racism/oppression approaches, barriers, and best practices with members of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center: Louie Marven and Virginia Perez-Ortega.

In this podcast episode, we will dig a little deeper into four specific lessons from the SADI project, introduce individuals who were a part of the SADI project from the very beginning as well as meet new partners who are implementing SADI lessons right now. Join us for this unique behind-the-scenes look at the mistakes, the growth, and the takeaways behind the Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative.

You can do anything, but not everything. In this episode, we are joined by Nina Jusuf, Co-Founder and Program Director of NAPIESV, National Organization of Asian Pacific Islanders Ending Sexual Violence. We will discuss how survivor-serving organizations must provide impactful, comprehensive, and sustainable support for survivors by expanding their knowledge of sexual violence and healing. We will also share valuable tools to help organizations and individuals commit to their own well-being and care as integral parts of their sustainable support efforts. 

According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. Because of this staggering reality, at Elevate|Uplift we strive to make spaces for the ways our own experiences with survivorship and oppression can inform our work. In this episode, we are joined by Santa Molina-Marshall, a holistic licensed clinical social worker and author of RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS: Memoir of a Spiritual Warrior. We will discuss how secondary trauma impacts us personally and professionally and detail strategies for maintaining healthy boundaries with our trauma while navigating the trauma of others.  

Tribal and Communities of Color carry histories of colonialism, imperialism, slavery, displacement, and other forms of violence. Today I am chatting with Mira Yusef, Executive Director, Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity. Join us as we unpack our personal experiences with intergenerational trauma as well as break-down trauma commonalities found in communities of color.

The sexual violence field has historically centered on some survivors and not others. On today’s episode, welcoming back two of our ElevateUplift partners, Cat Fribley, Director of the Resource Sharing Project at IowaCASA, and Nicole Matthews, Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition to discuss how the organizations working at ElevateUplift have “called themselves in” and done the hard work to establish practices and services rooted in anti-racism and anti-oppression frameworks.

In this podcast episode, we will explore the history behind Elevate|Uplift, the SADI project, get to know a little more about the organizations involved with Elevate|Uplift, and how Elevate|Uplift hopes to support organizations, advocates, and survivors in the future.

Guests: the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC), the National Organization of Asian Pacific Islanders Ending Sexual Violence (NAPIESV), the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), and the Resource Sharing Project (RSP).