In this episode, Joelle discusses:

• What to do when someone discloses abuse
• Preparing for unexpected confessions
• Providing resources and support
• Encouraging survivors by explaining the law

Key Takeaways:

• When someone discloses abuse, respond with preparedness, openness, honesty, and compassion, as the listener becomes a gateway to healing. Appropriate responses include: "I'm sorry this happened to you," "I believe you," "The abuse is not your fault," "It is so brave that you have come forward," "You are not helpless," and avoiding rationalization of the abuse.
• Survivors may disclose abuse during emotionally triggering events, requiring minimal questioning initially, respect for the traumatic nature, and preparedness for unexpected confessions without judgment.
• Providing resources, self-care, boundaries, and empathetic support without trying to fix the situation can facilitate the survivor's healing journey.
• Explaining civil rights, statute of limitations, and legal options to sue perpetrators and organizations involved in coverups can encourage survivors to come forward, gain access to documents and truth, prevent future abuse, and inspire younger survivors.

“When someone tells you that he or she is a survivor of child sexual abuse, you are not the guardian of a secret. Instead, you are a gateway to healing.” - Joelle Casteix

Connect with Joelle Casteix:

Website: https://www.casteix.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joellecasteix

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasteix/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joellecasteix/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joellecasteix3262

Stay tuned for more information about Joelle's upcoming book This Ain't Your Mama's Midlife

In episode 10, Joelle talked with Victoria Bruce about the challenges of caregiving. Now, it’s time to talk tools with Debbie Compton, bestselling author of The Caregiver’s Advocate, a how-to guide for adults tasked with caregiving their elderly parents.

In this episode, Joelle and Debbie Compton discuss:

• Surrounding yourself with a community
• Understanding the stages of dementia
• Advocating for a loved one’s needs and rights
• What caregivers need

Key Takeaways:

• Building a support network, accepting help, and prioritizing self-care are crucial for caregivers to avoid burnout. Seeking support from family members, neighbors, church communities, and others can alleviate the burden of caregiving.
• Understanding the stages of dementia and managing the associated challenges can be facilitated by seeking information, support, and consultations from professionals and organizations dedicated to caregiving.
• Caregivers must be prepared for the profound spiritual and emotional toll, isolation, and the need to start fresh daily. Advocating for a loved one's needs and rights is crucial, as dementia can cause patients to exhibit behaviors and use language that is not reflective of their true character.
• Caregivers need to be vigilant about financial and internet fraud, promote exercise to reduce dementia risk, and maintain a sense of humor when dealing with generational aging issues.

“Things that happen to us can either be taken as a stumbling block or a stepping stone, and I choose not to be a victim.” - Debbie Compton

The Caregiver's Advocate, A Complete Guide to Support & Resources available on Amazon or my website. https://thepurplevine.thrivecart.com/the-caregivers-advocate/

Connect with Debbie Compton:

Website: https://www.ThePurpleVine.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbiedcompton

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Caregiving.Book

Instagram: www.instagram.com/Debbie_Compton1

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/compton1788

Connect with Joelle Casteix:

Website: https://www.casteix.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joellecasteix

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasteix/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joellecasteix/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joellecasteix3262

Stay tuned for more information about Joelle's upcoming book This Ain't Your Mama's Midlife

Are you ready to get off of the “feelings treadmill” and start making real life changes with easy, actionable tools? Empowerment strategist JJ Flizanes has a path.

In this episode, Joelle and JJ discuss:

• What are core wounds?
• How to require psychological patterns
• Taking responsibility for one’s own emotions
• Meeting your own emotional needs

Key Takeaways:

• Core wound patterns are deeply rooted belief systems formed in early childhood that shape our subconscious needs, opinions, and beliefs, influencing our behavior and reactions despite being unaware of their existence.
• Rewiring broken psychological patterns requires identifying core wounds, emotional responses, and reaction patterns, catching triggers before spiraling, and desensitizing by understanding the wound-emotion-reaction process.
• Taking responsibility for emotions and experiences, rather than adopting a victim mentality, is crucial for personal growth. Identifying and labeling emotions precisely through tools like the "feelings list" aids in emotional regulation and understanding unmet needs.
• Meeting one's own emotional needs, rather than expecting others to fulfill them, is essential for midlife women and abuse survivors struggling with purpose and identity. Fear and negative emotions are natural responses but do not define an individual or signify failure; understanding this provides freedom and choice.

“Experience has brought us here today. There is no mistake, there was no randomness. This is all. It all makes sense. It all built on each other to get me to today, and I'm a person who believes that everything that we are today is very purposeful. If you don't know the purpose, we can just look back and figure it out.” - JJ Flizanes

Connect with JJ Flizanes:

Website: http://jjflizanes.com, http://empowermentstrategists.com

Connect with Joelle Casteix:

Website: https://www.casteix.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joellecasteix

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcasteix/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joellecasteix/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joellecasteix3262

Stay tuned for more information about Joelle's upcoming book This Ain't Your Mama's Midlife