Catcalling has been so normalized in our society that we often dismiss it and assume that it does not do any harm. Terra Lopez, host and creator of "This is What it Feels Like", joins us as she talks us through the often untold consequences that come from catcalling such as harassment, sexual assault and even murder. We walk through the power of le…

Creating change and safe spaces in the beer industry takes time, commitment, maturity and a desire to always listen to what those working within it are telling us. Throughout the episode Ryan Stack and I talk through what his time at Prairie Artisan Ales was like and how they created a culture based on believing staff, showing up for one another as…

Talking with Sonya, a Clinical Director and Sex Offender Management Board Clinical Supervisor for Juveniles, is a window into empathy for juveniles who are currently in the Youthful Offender System in Colorado. She shares with us not only her years of experience as a therapist, but the way in which her life and philosophies have helped shape her ap…

Camil invites us into her story in a way that encapsulates what it means to face our stories. To face some of the hardest moments of our lives and those who acted within our world. It is not easy to give people the vulnerability that Camil does, and we know that her words will bring healing and understanding to so many. Please know that this episod…

Maya is a diversity, equity, and inclusion facilitator, who has joined us to talk through her expertise, how we can all continue the conversation around equity and inclusion, and what it means to be a true ally to others. The journey of finding your power and privilege is not an easy one, and we hope the tools laid out in the episode will help in w…

Connecting to ourselves is not always a straight line. How we find our journey through healing is immensely personal, which is why we are so grateful for the honesty and vulnerability that Jenna brings. Jenna is an emotional healing educator, meditation teacher, retreat leader, hypnotherapist, HeartMath Facilitator, and founder of the Emotional Hea…

Susan and Alexander Prout are the founders of the I Have The Right To organization, which is committed to creating an ecosystem of respect and support for students and survivors of sexual assault. Throughout our conversation we discuss the bravery of their daughter Chessy, the walls of silence and shame that institutions systemically create, healin…

Sergeant Mike Harris sits down to guide us through how online sex crimes against children has changed over the years, ways in which we can start having honest and prevention based conversations with the kids in our lives, and the impact that time and space has on how our stories develop. Believing a survivor is not just about believing their first …

To kickoff season 3, we sit down with Morgan from Highland Park Brewery (HPB) and walk through what is like to do one of our trainings, the impacts it has had and continues to have with staff, and how our work together is helping disrupt some of the previous standards within the beer industry. We started our work in the beer space in 2020 as women …

Dave Pelzer is a New York Times best selling author, a survivor, and someone that has helped countless people through the power of his story. Alli and Dave talk through the process of writing his new book Return to the River, how he has moved through life holding space for his abuse and for his adult self to heal, and what he sees now, 50 years aft…

You can hear the "From Heart To Heard" talk on our website! We are so excited to have Dave Pelzer here next week as we continue our journey through this season. Please share with us your why and reactions to our video .By Allison Meyerhardt

This week, we talk with Karen about her story of surviving abuse at the hands of her stepfather. The idea of that to be loved means to experience abuse was a common story told to her not only by her abusive stepfather but by religious leaders. Karen has had to reframe her story to become one about love for herself, how the abuse is not her shame to…

In this episode we are joined by Amanda as she talks us through her stories of survival, why she has kept her stories silent and how she ended up in litigation against a powerful ride share company. This episode is a wonderful example of how we can still be in our pain and going through it and know that when we talk to safe people they will believe…

It is never easy to find your voice or feelings when a story feels outside of you. We talk with Will, a secondary survivor who is on a journey of understanding the impact that abuse has had on his mother's life and their relationship. As he feels his own pain through knowing what she want through, he is finding new ways to connect with her, empower…

This week we chat with Lori Poland, Executive Director of EndCAN and author of I Live Here: learning to heal through embracing your own story When Lori was kidnapped at the age of 3, her world and the world of others turned upside down. Her journey has been one of finding her voice in a tragedy that was mostly told to her and trying to understand w…

Author Lynn Forney shares with us her journey of survival and healing which she details in her book: Choosing Survival: How I Endured a Brutal Attack and a Lifetime of Trauma through the Power of Action, Choice, and Self Expression. We move through the power of art and imagination as a way to make friends with our past, how we can show kindness to …

Welcome Back Breakers!By Alli Meyerhardt

Alli sits down with Samantha, as she guides us through what happened one night at the hands of her boss, a man many considered to be a brilliant chef. The need to believe in his mastery over his actions and treatment of people leads to Samantha being violently attacked in the place they worked. She not only guides us through that moment but through…

In this episode, we change things up as Alli gets interviewed for the first time. Brittany, Alli's wife, helps Alli explore her stories and how they have influenced her in creating Breaking Silence. We walk through how Alli sees her stories of abuse today, what she continues to struggle with and what she hopes this podcast and Breaking Silence brin…

Alli sits down with Cody to learn about his experience of surviving a sexual assault at a pivotal time; when he was defining his identity and sexuality. Cody guides us through his experience of meeting an older man online who violated his sense of safety, his sense of community and his sense of self. We talk through believing in the power of his wo…

In this episode we talk with Anaya who walks through his story of being sexually assaulted by his partner, in which the assault ends in a pregnancy. At 16, Anaya knew that having a child that resulted from a rape was not what he wanted so he sought abortion as a step in his healing process. We talk through this process, the significance of inclusiv…

Alli and Max, a gay male who worked in the escort sex work industry sit down to debunk the stereotypes of the industry, how access to safe sex can strip down our shame, and the power of consent. We hope this vulnerable and honest conversation will start the conversation around the sex work industry so that we can all be better informed and more emp…

In this episode, Tanya, a treatment provider for those who have committed sex offense sits down with us to talk through what that treatment looks like, the roll that accountability plays in her work and how we can all be a part of the healing process for those in our lives.By Allison Meyerhardt

In this episode, Alli sits down with Katie a survivor of rape. Katie tells us her story of surviving the assault at the hands of a friend, the price of healing, and how she is working to build a community where all survivors are heard and supported. If you or anyone you know needs further support please visit our resources page or reach out to the …

In this episode, Alli talks with someone who chose to commit a sex offense on an incapacitated female in college. Hearing from this side of the story gives us the tools to understand prevention, and permission to feel things more deeply no matter what those feelings may be. Lean in as we explore what it mean\s to go from a hurt person hurting peopl…

In this episode, Alli is joined with Sam, an expert in the field of suicide prevention and awareness. Sam gives us tools for starting conversations around suicide, how to show up for someone and ourselves, and how suicide and interpersonal violence tend to intersect. If you or anyone you know is in need of support please call 800-273-8255 or text H…

Today's episode we hear Dino walk us through his relationship in which power over and control creates an unsafe and impossible space to exist within. His journey is one of finding his voice, his power and moving on from the grips of his partner at the time.By Allison Meyerhardt

Welcome to the first season of the Breaking Silence Podcast. Throughout this podcast, the Executive Director, Alli Meyerhardt, interviews those that are impacted by interpersonal violence so that we can build a community of advocates. In this space, we hope that you will find healing and join our community of breakers.…

In this episode, we hear Ashley's story of sexual harassment, her journey towards healing and the fears that come with being forced out of a job. She walks us through the culture that existed at work, the ways in which her abusers behavior was allowed to persist and what we can do now to disrupt environments like this so that women are not forced o…