Monday, September 23, 2019

Me Too, Time's UP, Now What? by Karla Monterrosa #guest

MeToo, Time’s UP, Now What?

By Karla Monterrosa

The rise of the Me Too and Time’s Up movements have exposed cases of sexual abuse within workplaces in the fields of government, entertainment, sports, and various other industries. Child sexual abuse has been missing from the conversation, which is surprising. The prevalence and effects of sexual abuse are devastating.

One out of every ten children experiences sexual abuse by the age of 18. Over 90 percent of sexually abused children know their abusers. There are over 42 million survivors of sexual abuse in the United States. Statistics also tell us that women who have experienced abuse are prone to re-experience abuse again later. Additionally, research supports the idea that some female childhood sexual abuse victims adopt harmful beliefs about sexuality leading them to believe that coercion and trauma are typical characteristics of sexual relations. This distortion leads them to have a higher tolerance for intimidating sexual advances, which leaves them vulnerable to revictimization. In a recent survey of 64,000 employees by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Co., more than one in three of the women surveyed indicated they had experienced harassment in their careers.

Most women can relate to experiencing both aggressive or non-violent forms of abuse.

I was five years old the first time a neighbor sexually abused me. The abuse I suffered early in my life turned my childhood into a set of dark memories that haunted me for most of my life. The experience left me feeling ashamed, angry, and unsafe. Throughout my life, I also experienced catcalling and propositioning beginning in my teenage years, and once I entered the workforce, this dynamic continued.

Women begin experiencing abuse at a very young age and throughout our lives—at least until we find our voice and courage and set up unshakeable boundaries. The inappropriate association we’ve made between affection and sexualized relationships (as a result of our childhood abuse), coupled with our culture’s obsession with women as sexual objects, inadvertently places women in a position of powerlessness in the workplace.

Now that the spotlight is on this pervasive issue, we need to talk about healing. Today, survivors face the challenge of being reminded almost daily of their traumatic experiences with little dialogue about the road to healing.

I decided to add my voice to the conversation by sharing my story and placing a spotlight on the path toward healing.

I’M ON A MISSION TO HELP WOMEN HEAL FROM ABUSE AND LIVE HEALTHY, THRIVING LIVES.

If you’re ready to experience healing from abuse, Unbraided: Transform Your Pain to Power and Purpose will help you get healthy emotionally and spiritually so you can cultivate the self-confidence and courage needed to follow through to freedom. Learn how to deal with the long-term effects of abuse—fear, shame, lack of trust, and anger—to build strong relationships, enjoy intimacy, and experience joy.

References

Furhmans, Vanessa. “What #MeToo Has to Do with the Workplace Gender Gap.” The Wall Street Times. October 23 2018. https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-metoo-has-to-do-with-the-workplace-gender-gap-1540267680

National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse. “What Are the Statistics of the Abused?” Accessed June 20, 2018. http://www.naasca.org/2012-Resources/010812-StaisticsOfChildAbuse.htm.

About the Author

Karla Monterrosa, M.P.A. is an author, keynote speaker, and women’s empowerment coach who has dedicated her life to improving the lives of women and families. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning and a Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Management and Leadership from California State University, Northridge.

Karla began her career in the City of Los Angeles, where she quickly became aware of the scale of challenges that large, diverse communities face. She learned how to address needs by best utilizing what was already available and, during her tenure, helped to provide women, youth, and families with programming that increased financial literacy, education, and economic opportunities. Karla’s ability to pinpoint trauma and develop strategic solutions would serve as the launching pad to her own coaching program, Unbraided Life (www.unbraidedlife.com).

A survivor of abuse herself, Karla is passionate about leveraging her skills to help others overcome their past. She specializes in guiding women to discover their God-given purpose through honest self-reflection, application of biblical principles, and her one-of-a-kind 7 Steps Toward Healing framework.

Karla is a certified Mending the Soul support group facilitator, but it’s her almost two decades of experience in community and economic development that make her programming practical, unique, and transformational.

You can find Karla on the internet at www.unbraidedlife.com, @karlabmonterrosa on Instagram, Karla Monterrosa on Facebook.

To book Karla to speak: speaking@unbraidedlife.com.

A sample of keynote topics she offers:

7 Steps Toward Healing

Marriage, Motherhood, and Memories

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse

The Path to Purpose

★WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS★

Website: www.unbraidedlife.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlabmonterrosa/ (@karlabmonterrosa)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karla.monterrosa.7

About the Book:

Title: UNBRAIDED: TRANSFORM YOUR PAIN TO POWER AND PURPOSE
Author: Karla Monterrosa
Publisher: Inspire Books
Pages: 250
Genre: Non-fiction/self-help/overcoming abuse/Christian

BOOK BLURB:

Vulnerable, courageous, and deeply personal, Unbraided: Transform Your Pain Into Power and Purpose, will help you to identify the areas of your life that are being affected by abuse and provide a path for you to experience breakthrough and healing.

Karla Monterrosa experienced physical, emotional, and sexual abuses early in her life. She was able to take those negative experiences and use them as fuel to propel her forward for a time, accomplishing personal, educational, and professional successes. Eventually, within the stresses and pressures of marriage and motherhood, her scars became utterly exposed. She realized that her past was beginning to harm her family in the present, and it was then she chose to take courageous steps to heal from abuse—to become the woman, wife, and mother they deserve.

If you’re ready to experience healing from abuse, Unbraided will help you get healthy emotionally and spiritually so you can cultivate the self-confidence and courage needed to follow through to freedom. Learn how to deal with the long-term effects of abuse—fear, shame, lack of trust, and anger—in order to build strong relationships, enjoy intimacy, and experience joy.

Using thought-provoking journaling exercises, biblical principles, and her one-of-a-kind 7 Steps Toward Healing framework, Karla will gently guide you through a journey of self-reflection and healing—while making it feel like an intimate conversation with a trusted friend over coffee. Are you ready to step forward into the life you desire with renewed energy, unshakeable confidence, and purpose?