Show Notes
This week on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I sit down with Jason Patrick Berry, author of the brave and unflinchingly honest memoir Secrets Beneath. Jason's story is one that quietly breaks your heart and then slowly helps rebuild it. On the outside, his childhood looked perfectly normal, even picturesque. But behind closed doors lived a painful reality of abuse, secrecy, and survival that no child should ever have to experience. In Secrets Beneath, Jason pulls back that veil and walks us through the lasting impact of trauma, including post trauma stress, anxiety, and emotional isolation, while also showing what it looks like to keep choosing healing day by day. This conversation is personal, raw, and deeply human. Born and raised in Connecticut and now living in Florida with his husband Shaun and their two beloved dogs, Jason brings not only his survivor voice into this space, but his heart for wellness, recovery, and holistic self-care. He speaks openly about how reconnecting with nature, creating mindful routines around health, and learning to nurture his body and nervous system have become essential parts of his healing journey. There is no polished recovery narrative here, only an honest reflection of what healing truly looks like. Layered, imperfect, courageous, and ongoing. The kind of truth that lets listeners exhale and quietly think, "I am not alone in this." What struck me most in this conversation is Jason's willingness to be completely seen. Not as some inspirational figure wrapped up in a neat storyline, but as a real person still walking the road of healing, still learning, and still refusing to allow his abuse experiences to define the rest of his life. His openness about living with anxiety and frequent memory activators brings powerful validation to experiences so many survivors silently hold inside. Jason does not minimize the pain, but he also refuses to ever give up hope. His voice is gentle, steady, and deeply relatable in all the best ways, and the motivation is to always help others who've experienced similar abuse. This episode reflects the very heart of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories. Amplifying survivor voices, dismantling silence, and reminding every listener that healing is not only possible, it's allowed. Jason shares the truth many are afraid to speak aloud, and in doing so creates space for others to discover their own courage. I am genuinely grateful for his vulnerability and for the trust he placed in this platform to tell his story. Secrets Beneath is not just a memoir, and this episode is not just an interview. It is a conversation that invites others to speak, to heal, and to believe that life can hold more than what trauma ever tried to dictate. 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: [email protected] 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! — Thank you!! https://www.jasonpatrickberry.com https://a.co/d/bQkH0IA (Order Jason's book on Amazon!) https://womensmediacenter.com/profile/rita-smith https://1in6.org/ https://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/repeat_r
More from Sexual Assault Survivor Stories
What happens when a sexual assault survivor refuses to be silenced, even when the institutions responsible for protecting him seem determined not to listen? In Episode 209 of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I welcome author and publisher R. Greg Adams, whose new memoir, Strong Survivor: Strong Victim, recounts his experience of being sexually assaulted by his physician in 2015 and the extraordinary decade-long battle for accountability that followed. Greg describes the resistance he encountered from law enforcement, medical regulators, and other authorities, along with the profound personal consequences of his pursuit of justice. His experience exposes troubling questions about institutional betrayal, the treatment of male sexual assault survivors, and the additional trauma that can result when survivors are denied meaningful support. This conversation is about far more than one man's experience. It's about the responsibility of institutions to respond appropriately to sexual violence, the importance of believing survivors, and the tremendous human cost of systems that fail the people they're supposed to protect. Greg's story deserves to be heard, and his book provides an important opportunity to continue a conversation our society can no longer afford to avoid. Learn more about Greg and his book at https://www.thestrongsurvivor.com. 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 of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story 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: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…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 other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://www.thestrongsurvivor.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
My guest today is Dr. Anne Aspler, an emergency physician, professor, researcher, humanitarian, survivor, advocate, and author whose voice has become increasingly influential both within medicine and across social media. Anne brings an unusual and important perspective to conversations about sexual violence: she has treated trauma professionally while also carrying the lived experience of sexual and family violence herself. The timing of this episode could not be more appropriate. Today, October 6, 2026, marks the release of Anne's new memoir, Rise After Silence: An ER Doctor and the Patients Who Healed Her. The book brings together stories from Anne's years in emergency medicine with her own journey through trauma, motherhood, medicine, identity, and healing, while confronting the profound consequences of violence that takes place behind closed doors. Our conversation moves between medicine, criminal justice, trauma, memory, and survivor advocacy. We talk about trauma informed interviewing, why survivors may never enter the justice system, and the gaps that remain between healthcare, law enforcement, the courts, and survivor care. We also explore something Anne's life demonstrates powerfully: lived experience and professional expertise do not have to exist separately. Brought together, they can become an extraordinary force for understanding, advocacy, and change. Anne's official sites are Rise After Silence and Anne's website. 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 of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story 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: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…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 other critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! 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
Cassie Nicholas returns to Sexual Assault Survivor Stories for her fourth appearance. Listeners first met Cassie in Episode 36, followed her continuing healing journey in Episode 81, heard the story of attempted trafficking concealed as an offer of help in Episode 182, and came together for her during a special edition episode after a devastating car fire took her transportation, shelter, and belongings. In Episode 207, Cassie shares another part of her story: what it meant to grow up as a "glass child," the sibling of someone with profound disabilities, while learning to suppress her own needs in an effort to preserve stability within a complicated family system. We talk about parentification, emotional adaptation, domestic violence, self-erasure, and how becoming invisible can begin as a survival response and remain long after the original danger has passed. Cassie also talks about reclaiming her voice through advocacy, storytelling, and writing. Her recent work includes the short story "The Hall of Prisoners" and "Meet Me in the Mountains," written in memory of a friend who passed away. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Love Brought You Here, where she explores trauma, family systems, healing, survival, and the experiences that shape who we become. Cassie's story is not one of pain neatly resolved or trauma permanently placed in the past. It is the story of a woman continuing to understand what happened to her, refusing to disappear, and learning that her voice belongs to her first. Connect with Cassie and explore her work: The Hall of Prisoners Meet Me in the Mountains The Cassandra Voice Linktree The Cassandra Voice on YouTube Love Brought You Here Podcast: [email protected] 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 of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story 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: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…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! — Thank you!! 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
After a week off, I'm joined by Cat Wilson, a survivor, advocate, and outspoken voice in the movement to end violence against women. Cat is a HASSL Pro Ambassador and serves as the organization's country representative for Scotland. Cat speaks with an honesty that is direct, unapologetic, and deeply personal. She shares her lived experience, the difficult realities of survival and healing, and what it means to reclaim your voice after someone has tried to take it from you. Her story also challenges the expectation that survivors should remain quiet, agreeable, or responsible for making other people comfortable with the truth. Through her work with HASSL, Cat is helping challenge the attitudes and cultural norms that allow harassment and violence against women to continue. HASSL's approach is simple and critically important: stop asking women to carry the burden of preventing violence and start addressing the people, behaviors, and beliefs responsible for it. Cat's voice is part of that change, and I'm honored to help her share it. Follow Cat on Instagram: @cat_hasslx Follow HASSL: @hasslofficial Learn more about HASSL and its global ambassador community: HASSL 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 of rape or sexual assault and are ready to tell your story 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: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Please be sure to provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you, and let me know what time zone you are in…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! — Thank you!! 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
Vanessa Wulff was working toward a future in chiropractic care when she became the victim of multiple sexual assaults and rape. In this episode, she shares what happened during that period of her life and the effects those experiences had on her education, her sense of safety, and her ability to move forward. Vanessa's story reflects a reality that is often poorly understood: trauma does not always produce a clear, predictable, or easily explained response. Survivors may continue attending school, going to work, interacting with others, or trying to maintain the appearance of an ordinary life while privately carrying fear, confusion, shame, and the lasting effects of what was done to them. This conversation is also an important reminder that repeated victimization never makes a survivor responsible for the crimes committed against them. Each assault results from an offender's decision to violate another person's autonomy and consent. The responsibility belongs to the perpetrator, every time. By sharing her story, Vanessa gives listeners an honest look at the effects of multiple sexual assaults and the strength required not only to survive them, but to find the language and courage to speak about them. Follow Vanessa on Instagram: @vwulff1 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 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: [email protected] Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with your time zone and 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://thevocalmin.com https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-vocal-minority 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