– Episode Thirty-Three –
Build Your Resiliency to Sexual Coercion
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About The Empowerment Podcast
In this podcast, created as a platform to teach you everything she knows about self-defense, join host Silvia Smart in this safe space. With over three decades on the frontlines, she’ll give you skills and knowledge for your self-defense toolkit so you can live your most fearless and empowered life. Research proves that empowerment self-defense programs work. Participants are less fearful, more aware of their boundaries, and are able to speak up sooner when faced with manipulative or threatening situations. Furthermore, for those who have experienced trauma in the past, evidence shows that empowerment self-defense training can interrupt the cycle of violence and decrease the likelihood of a future assault.
Other Episodes You Might Like...
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 48
Finding Empowerment within the Upsetting Context of Mass Shootings – an Interview with SAC Kieran Ramsey, FBI Portland
There’s a clear uptick in mass shootings across the country leading to lots of fear, confusion and anguish. Who better to talk to than the FBI? Join me and my guest, Special Agent in Charge of the Portland FBI, Kieran Ramsey.
We discuss how regular people like you and me can help prevent mass shootings and play a role in stopping this disturbing cycle of violence. (Hint: it will not make the news.) We discuss the ins and outs, ups and downs of knowing what to look for, fact versus myth, reporting, planning, preparation and yes, believe it or not, empowerment!
Many thanks to SAC Ramsey for sharing his experience and wisdom as we negotiate the complex landscape we all live in right now.
Please share this episode far and wide. Together, we can create a kinder and safer world, one relationship at a time. We’ve got this!
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
• Call 911
• Call Your Local Non-Emergency Police Phone Number: Directory by City
• Report to the FBI
• Contact Your Local FBI Field Office
• FBI Phone #: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
Connect with Silvia
Trauma Informed Active Shooter Trainings with Silvia
Special thanks to my editor, Henry Smart-Denson
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 47
Folks, Florida is on the front lines right now. There are huge safety concerns brought on by the cruel laws, restrictions, rhetoric, and policies of Ron DeSantis and his friends that are affecting many people. Because of this, Equality Florida, along with the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens, have all issued travel advisories for the State of Florida.
I wanted to find out more and am thrilled to introduce you to Brandon Wolf, the Press Secretary of Equality Florida.
In April 2023, Brandon’s organization, Equality Florida warned against traveling to the state of Florida for folks in the LGBTQ+ community saying it could be risky and potentially unsafe. The warning says: “Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state.”
The League of United Latin American Citizens issued its own warning, saying bluntly: “Traveling to Florida is dangerous.” The advisory goes on to say travel in Florida “can be unsafe for people of color, individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers,” and people in those groups could face “a heightened risk of harassment, possible detainment, and potential family separation based on racial profiling.”
From the New York Times: The NAACP became the latest to issue a travel advisory to the Sunshine State, warning that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools” have turned the state into an openly hostile place for people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 46
Denial, Safety, and Empowerment – If we’re gonna talk about Empowerment Self Defense, we have to talk about denial. When talking with survivors of sexual assault and survivors of other types of relational violence it is common to hear that the survivor had a funny feeling something was wrong but then doubted themselves or rationalized or minimized their intuition and flat out ignored it. This is called denial.
Denial can put us at risk and because of that, breaking through denial in all the ways it manifests in our lives keeps us safer. Period. Looking at and talking about denial is directly connected to empowerment self-defense AND to our safety as we walk through the world.
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 45
Meet Jill Shames, Empowerment Self Defense Instructor. Listen in as she and host, Silvia Smart, share a few self-defense success stories and talk about all the things the survivors did RIGHT! Find out why they recommend a perspective shift as you think through your own experiences! You are strong and powerful and Jill and Silvia believe in you!
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 44
Meet Lauren Taylor who has been working to end gender-based violence since 1978, when she co-founded Washington, D.C.’s first shelter for abused women. As an empowerment self-defense teacher and founder-director of Defend Yourself, she’s trained more than 35,000 people in the D.C. area and elsewhere in the U.S. She’s also trained dozens of trainers around the country and around the world.
Join us as we find out more about Lauren and what makes her tick. Learn about the book she co-authored with Nadia Telsey, which will be published in the fall! Importantly, follow the links here to learn how to pre-order the book and support this important work!
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 43
I Survived a Cult
Join host Silvia Smart as she shares pieces of her journey to empowerment and survival from a cult-like martial arts system. Listen to the red flags that crop up around these dysfunctional and sometimes dangerous systems and people.
Cults and charismatic leaders with ill intent are everywhere – Qanon, NXIVM, Scientology, and The Children of God, are just a few examples. Cults and narcissistic, manipulative, and sociopathic leaders exist within conspiratorial cultures, churches, and spiritual groups. People get stuck in these systems – especially when they are vulnerable. Learn the signs so you can protect yourself and stay safe.
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 42
What to Do: Choke From Behind
Smart shares a surprising self-defense success story that is near and dear to her heart. Find out how her 90-year-old dad responded when he was choked from behind while walking down the street!
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 41
Join host, Silvia Smart and her guest, Tasha Ina Church, an empowerment self-defense teacher with a life story you want to hear about! On her website, she writes: “Empowerment goes beyond physical safety. It is understanding that YOU have a VOICE and that voice has POWER — It’s about knowing that in any fight; physical, psychological, or emotional, YOU are Worth Fighting For!”
Special thanks to my editor, Collin Taber (@that2ndtaberkid)
Resources:
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
Join “The Empowerment Project” Group on Facebook. For everyone’s safety, please know that if you don’t answer the questions, we will not accept you into the group.
#theempowermentpodcast, #theempowermentproject, #theempowermentpodcastybynaga, #emowermentselfdefense, #selfdefense, #nagacommunity, #elleliveaction, @elleliveaction
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 40
Empowerment & Dragons! Empowerment is a lifelong journey. Celebrate your wins and contemplate next steps. Join host, Silvia Smart, as she shares a piece of her journey into and beyond a lifelong challenge that impacted every area of her life. Find out how she vanquished her dragon and lived to tell about it!
Empowerment means doing stuff that is hard and scary, looking at the way we limit ourselves, the way society limits us…and facing it, moving through it, living to tell about it, seeing, feeling and knowing how strong and powerful we are because of these choices and this journey, and then going on to share our experiences, challenges and successes as a way of helping others who face similar trials and tribulations.
Connect with Silvia
Special thanks to my editor, Collin Taber (@that2ndtaberkid)
Resources:
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
LINKS:
Video about Joseph Campbell,“Finding Joe” (beware, it’s heavy on the references to men.)
“Because I said I would”.
My blog on Food Addiction which has links to the program that is working for me.
Support this important work:
Buy Me a Coffee
Donate through my website
Thank you!
Join “The Empowerment Project” Group on Facebook. For everyone’s safety, please know that if you don’t answer the questions, we will not accept you into the group.
#theempowermentpodcast, #theempowermentproject, #theempowermentpodcastybynaga, #emowermentselfdefense, #selfdefense, #nagacommunity, #becauseisaidiwould, #brightlineeating, #ble, #findingjoe,
The Empowerment Podcast – Episode 39
Self Defense and Martial Arts – An Interview with Jim Wetzel
Join host, Silvia Smart, and her guest, Jim Wetzel as they discuss the martial art they train and so much more. Poekoelan Tjimindie was brought to the US from Indonesia in 1956 by Willy Wetzel. Jim is his youngest son, has been training in this art since he was 4 years old, and is a font of wisdom. He’s kind, and generous and is a wonderful human being and teacher.
In this episode, Silvia and Jim discuss all things self-defense. Also, if you are looking to begin some of your own martial arts training, they spend some time talking about how to pick the right style, school, and teacher for you.
Connect with Silvia
Connect with Jim: wetzelsystems@gmail.com
Special thanks to my editor, Collin Taber (@that2ndtaberkid)
Resources:
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
Support this important work:
Buy Me a Coffee
Donate through my website
Thank you!
Join “The Empowerment Project” Group on Facebook. For everyone’s safety, please know that if you don’t answer the questions, we will not accept you into the group.
#theempowermentpodcast, #theempowermentproject, #theempowermentpodcastybynaga, #emowermentselfdefense, #selfdefense, #nagacommunity, #poekoelan, #poekoelantjimindie
Resources mentioned in this Episode
Science Vs Blue Balls: You’re Wrong About Them
We join forces with Sarah Marshall from You’re Wrong About to dive into a question for the ages: Blue balls — are they real? We’ve heard that for people with balls, if you get aroused but don’t ejaculate, it can be incredibly painful. But is that true? Or is it a ball-faced lie, something that men make up to pressure women to have sex with them? Join us for a ball-busting episode that puts blue balls to the ultimate test-es, reaching a gripping conclusion as we ask: If blue balls is in fact real — can people with vaginas get it too?
Al Vernacchio Ted Talk: Sex Needs a New Metaphor. Here’s one…
For some reason, says educator Al Vernacchio, the metaphors for talking about sex in the US all come from baseball — scoring, getting to first base, etc. The problem is, this frames sex as a competition, with a winner and a loser. Instead, he suggests a new metaphor, one that’s more about shared pleasure, discussion and agreement, fulfillment and enjoyment. Let’s talk about … pizza.
Negotiating Sexual Interests with a partner
From Justine: UO’s Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team (SWAT) has many videos. Here is one on negotiating sexual interests with a partner. I ask the students to look for communication tools that we have practiced in this class.