Trigger Warning

In this episode of Conversations We've Never Had, Candice and Gemma close Season Three by exploring the power of connection - and why it is the most effective tool we have for transforming how we respond to child sexual abuse. After a season spent deep in systems work, speaking with young people, families, and those working across the sector, they reflect on what they've found at the heart of every conversation: the need to see each other as human beings first. From the fear that silences practitioners to the courage of young people willing to share their hardest truths, Candice and Gemma ask what it would look like to stop performing care and start truly feeling it. This is a conversation about curiosity over ego, feeling over detachment, and why the simple act of showing up - with love, with honesty, and without looking away - is the most important thing any of us can do.

In this week's episode of Conversations We've Never Had, Candice and Gemma explore vulnerability. They discuss how vulnerability can shift from a place of strength to one of self-questioning, especially in spaces where there is silence as this can mirror the impacts of trauma. Candice and Gemma reflect on the importance of trust - both in ourselves and from others - and how vulnerability can coexist with power in fortitude. They draw parallels between their own experiences and what we ask of the young people and families in need of support, reminding us that vulnerability is a necessary part of doing this work with heart and integrity.

In this episode, of Conversations We’ve Never Had, Candice and Gemma unpack the complex weight of responsibility that survivors of child sexual abuse carry throughout their lives - from the moment of abuse through disclosure, the criminal justice process, and beyond. They explore how responsibility shows up in every area of life: the guilt of "breaking" a family, the burden of holding secrets, the exhaustion of managing everyone else's feelings, and the challenge of navigating support systems. Candice and Gemma discuss how survivors often become caregivers within their own families, taking on roles they should never have to hold.

What does it really mean for young survivors of child sexual abuse to participate in their own healing? In this episode of Conversations We've Never Had, Gemma and Candice explore the power - and complexity - of bringing young people together to connect, share, and create change. They discuss the difference between participation, co-production, and leadership, and why connection must come before action. Drawing on their own experiences, they reflect on what they would have needed as teenagers: the courage it takes to walk through the door, the healing that happens in simply being seen by others who understand, and why there's no such thing as being "ready." Gemma and Candice challenge the assumptions that keep young people isolated and make the case for why facilitators with lived experience are essential. Because participation isn't just about making change externally -it's about the radical act of showing up, being present, and discovering you're not alone.

Candice Harris and Gemma Halliwell discuss the concept of the "child self" and how trauma exists outside of linear time. They explore recognising when wounded child selves show up, learning to parent ourselves through difficult moments, and breaking negative feedback loops with kindness and wonder. This episode about acknowledging pain while holding onto hope and the possibility of healing.