The Heal Thrive Dream Podcast
Healing Through Faith w/ Paulina Sosa: Breaking the Silence for Survivors
June 28, 2021
When Paulina Sosa's abusive relationship left her feeling powerless, ashamed and guilty, she turned to God's love to empower her and revive her, with the goal of reminding other survivors that their voice and their story matters and they are not alone. Paulina Sosa is a survivor of domestic and sexual violence, and is passionate about empowering others to use their voice and story to heal. She is the founder of the Latinx Forces Project, an initiative to empower the Latinx community, and the Breaking the Silence for Survivors storytelling project.
When Paulina Sosa's abusive relationship left her feeling powerless, ashamed and guilty, she turned to God's love to empower her and revive her, with the goal of reminding other survivors that their voice and their story matters and they are not alone.

"Knowing that what has happened to me does not define me, but knowing that God and his strength and his love have, in fact, revived me to be able to do this and hopefully to remind other women out there that they also have a voice and a power in their story and in their healing."

Paulina Sosa is a survivor of domestic and sexual violence, and is passionate about empowering others to use their voice and story to heal. She is the founder of the Latinx Forces Project, an initiative to empower the Latinx community, and the Breaking the Silence for Survivors storytelling project.

Paulina Sosa experienced a lot of abuse throughout her life, but it was not until she attended a conference at her church that she realized it was not her fault. She found strength and comfort in two scripture verses she had read, which remind her that she is not alone and God can transform the pain into something beautiful. To empower other women in similar situations, she is writing a book. In it she recounts her story and her journey with addiction and anxiety as a result of the trauma she experienced. Despite the pain and shame, Paulina is determined to use her story and her faith to empower other women and remind them that they are not alone.

In this episode, you will learn the following:
1. Exploring how God's love can revive us and empower us to reclaim our voices and stories after experiencing trauma.
2. Understanding the dynamics of domestic and sexual violence and recognizing red flags in relationships.
3. Unpacking the power of Christ-centered healing from emotional, mental, and physical trauma.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:


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Chapter Summaries:

[00:00:02]
Paulina Sosa is a survivor and also an advocate. She gives a lot of credit to her healing journey because of her passion for Christ. Her project aims to empower the latinx community. She hopes to remind other women that they also have a voice and a power in their story.

[00:04:50]
Karen and I had the pleasure of meeting at a new conference that our church, Grace Community Church based out of arlington, Virginia launched. The session that I facilitated and hosted during the conference was focused on the Me Too movement. And it's been really exciting to see that start to grow and blossom.

[00:08:03]
Is it okay to invite listeners who maybe don't have a church family? How would they go about learning about the group and signing up? The idea is for this to be an online safe space for women to come to and to support each other. Do you think the group will stay on Zoom or go back in person?

[00:10:10]
A lot of women haven't been able to come forward yet or share yet. I think trauma and abuse and sexual assault can feel very isolating and alone. It's huge knowing there's communities, there's groups that we can join that can help us feel less alone.

[00:12:53]
What are some of your favorite scriptures? Do you care to recite them for our listeners? For me, they really instill a sense of hope. God is so empowering for women, isn't it amazing?

[00:17:05]
I am actually in the middle of writing a book. I have witnessed or experienced either domestic or sexual violence in some way throughout most of my life. Part of me writing my story is hopefully to show other women that they are not alone. I'm hopeful that we'll have a book ready to go mid 2021.

[00:23:00]
A lot of women who are trauma survivors do turn to maladaptive coping skills or coping skills. The first thing is saying putting a name to what is in hiding. Celebrate Recovery has helped me put a names to some of these addictions. I'm starting to see those chains break.

[00:32:54]
How did you learn how to pray? She comes from a family of strong woman prayer warriors. Please join us next week, same day and time. Also, I would love for you to check out my website. Healthrivedream.com