This episode includes discussions of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, eating disorder, and trauma. Please listen at your own discretion and prioritize your emotional well-being. You are welcome to pause, skip, or return whenever you feel ready.

Some conversations change your life forever. And sometimes, the hardest conversation you'll ever have is the one where you finally tell someone about something you've been carrying for years.

In this deeply personal episode of Butterfly Circle, I shares the story of the day I finally broke my silence and told my mom about the childhood sexual abuse I have been experiencing at the hands of my father.

But before that conversation ever happened, there was another conversation with my older brother that ultimately pushed me to tell my mom.

I takes listeners through the experiences, emotions, fears, and circumstances that led up to that day, what I remember about finally speaking the words out loud, and how that moment changed the trajectory of my life.

Friday's episode is being shared after this episode a conversation with my mom, where we explore the same life-changing experience from two different perspectives.

Because sometimes two people can experience the same moment and carry entirely different emotions, memories, and perspectives.

SUPPORT & RESOURCES

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse or assault, you deserve support.

• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
Call 800-656-HOPE (4673)
Text HOPE to 64673
Online support: https://rainn.org/hotline

• Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC)
24/7 hotline: 800-841-8371
Website: https://barcc.org/

• Massachusetts Sexual Assault Survivor Resources
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/statewide-resources-for-sexual-assault-survivors

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for making space for these conversations.

Butterfly Circle is a space for becoming—all together.

Come as you are. Take what you need, leave what you don't. 🦋

In today's episode of Butterfly Circle, we're talking about something that's become a huge part of my life: navigating work while living with chronic illness.

When your health changes, sometimes your career, routines, priorities, and even the way you define productivity have to change with it.

We're talking about the pressure to keep pushing, learning to listen to your body, and why finding flexible ways to work can make such a difference when you're navigating health challenges.

Because sometimes the life you planned isn't the life you're able to live anymore. And that doesn't mean you have to stop dreaming or working toward the things you want. It might just mean finding a different way to get there.

Whether you're living with chronic illness, recovering from an injury, or navigating a life change you never expected, I hope this conversation reminds you that you're not alone.

A question for the Circle: Have you ever had to change your career, routine, or goals because life threw something unexpected your way?

Welcome to Butterfly Circle. A space for becoming. 🦋🤍

Join the Circle.

What makes someone a parent? Is it biology, or is it the love, guidance, and support they give you throughout your life?

In today's episode of Butterfly Circle, I'm joined by Olivia for a conversation about family, childhood, the environments that shape us, and what it really means to become your own person.

Throughout her life, she's experienced being uprooted from different environments, adjusting to new chapters, and learning lessons that have shaped who she is today.

We talk about how the people who raise us aren't always our biological parents, how the environments we grow up in can influence what we believe is normal, and how sometimes becoming the best version of yourself means removing yourself from environments that no longer serve you.

But leaving is only part of the journey. Sometimes you also have to unlearn the things you grew up believing, recognize patterns you don't want to repeat, and decide who you want to become moving forward.

Because where you come from can shape you, but it doesn't have to define who you become. 🦋

A question for the Circle: What's something you've had to unlearn from your childhood to become the person you are today?

Welcome to Butterfly Circle. A space for becoming. 🦋

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or emotional distress in the United States, call or text 988 for free, confidential support, available 24/7.

Welcome to the Circle. Thanks for being apart of the circle. 🫂💖

In today's episode of Butterfly Circle, we're talking about going from 0 to 100, the all-or-nothing mindset, and the pressure we sometimes put on ourselves when we're trying to become better versions of who we are.

Why do we feel like we have to do everything at once? And what would happen if we gave ourselves permission to grow at our own pace?

We're exploring the difference between pushing ourselves to grow and putting so much pressure on ourselves that we struggle to stay consistent.

Because becoming doesn't have to happen overnight. 🦋

Welcome to the Circle. Come as you are. Take what you need, leave what you don't.

Join the Circle: What has ignited you to go after your dreams? What is something you have learned in your journey that could help the rest of us going after our dreams?

What if some of the things we believe about ourselves aren't actually who we are, but stories we've learned to believe?

In this episode of Butterfly Circle, I'm talking about limiting beliefs and how Forbes Riley taught me how to discover where limiting beliefs come from. Looking deeper into my own past versions of myself to understand where my beliefs came from and what experiences validated those beliefs to make me believe they were true.

Inspired by Dr. Sonja Stribling's exercise of bringing different versions of herself onto the stage, I decided to look at my own past versions instead. I reflect on the experiences I've been through, what I learned from them, and how I see those experiences differently from where I am today.

Because sometimes, if we want to understand why we think the way we do, we have to be willing to look back at the things that shaped us.

This isn't about pretending the past didn't happen or acting like we've figured everything out. It's about understanding ourselves a little better, questioning the beliefs we've carried, and realizing that the things we've been through don't have to define who we become.

So I want you to think about this, too: What experiences have shaped the way you see yourself, and are the beliefs you've built around those experiences still serving you today?

Come as you are. Take what you need, leave what you don't. We're all becoming, and we don't have to do it alone. 🦋

IF YOU NEED SUPPORT

If anything discussed in this episode brings up difficult feelings, you don't have to navigate them alone. These free resources are available if you'd like to talk to someone or explore additional support.

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or chat at https://988lifeline.org/. Free, confidential support, available 24/7.
• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: Call 800-656-4673, text HOPE to 64673, or visit https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/. Free, confidential support, available 24/7.
• ANAD Eating Disorders Helpline: Call 1-888-375-7767 for free support, encouragement, and referrals, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Central Time. https://anad.org/get-support/

You deserve to be heard, supported, and reminded that you're not alone. ❤️

Welcome to the Butterfly Circle. 🦋

In this episode, I’m introducing the meaning behind Butterfly Circle and sharing some of the different versions of myself that brought me here.

We’re talking about growing up, trauma, pain, transformation, and the misconception that being young means you haven't experienced enough to have a story worth telling.

Butterfly Circle is a space for becoming together. For the seasons of life that change us, challenge us, break us open, and introduce us to versions of ourselves we didn't know existed.

This is just the beginning.

Welcome to Butterfly Circle.