Originally Published: Oct 16, 2025
Healing happens in relationship. Child sexual violence also happens within a relationship.
And children grow up fighting to survive that relationship.
Because relationships shape who we are, healing must also happen within relationship.
That’s what led me to The Gatehouse in Toronto — a brave and safe space where facilitators and participants, each with personal lived experience of child sexual violence, come together to heal.
We’re more than a circle of chairs. We bear witness to each other. We listen to every story and hold it sacred.
Together, we heal. Together, we breathe the night out.
Tonight, I begin my third series at The Gatehouse. This one’s a little different — it’s called Expressive Arts Therapy. I can’t draw. I can’t paint. But I can’t wait. (Fingers crossed they let me finger paint!) 🎨
If you want to understand why relationships are the foundation of healing and human development, watch this brilliant TED Talk by Dr. Karen Treisman. It’s worth every minute.