Battered Woman (1996) & Serenity (2017)

Battered Woman (1996) & Serenity (2017)

Robin Osborne

Battered Woman (1996) was created when I first came to Women’s Crisis Center. I first presented for services during the court case against the doctor who sexually abused me as a child. It took me 20 years after the initial abuse to come forward and start to talk about the trauma I had experienced. This painting represents the emotions I was feeling on the inside during this process. I was not beaten on the outside, but I felt beaten on the inside. I was very fearful of retaliation after this court case, I experienced some stigma and judgment from others, and I was of if I could come back for services. These are among the reasons that prevented me from continuing at WCC after the conclusion of the case.

Serenity (2016) was created after I came back to Women’s Crisis Center in 2016 and completed my healing process. Jackie was my therapist. I was able to connect with her unlike other therapists I had worked with as she is close to my age. I started to learn to trust her, when before trusting individuals in the systems that were supposed to help me was often difficult. Serenity represents the change I experienced after engaging in services at the center that were guided by trauma informed principles, including EMDR therapy. Another part of my healing was that I was able to be a part of the Trauma Informed Care implementation team at WCC representing the voice of lived experience. Instead of feeling beaten, I now feel empowered. I am now able to advocate for others who have mental health diagnoses and for trauma informed care in multiple systems that survivors interact with. I chose the title Serenity in honor of my granddaughter, Serenity is her middle name. I never want her, or any little girl, to ever have to experience anything like I did.