BREAKING THE SILENCE: Healing Generational Trauma with Rosalia Rivera

Episode summary:

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Welcome to Season 3 of The Self-ish Latina Podcast! For those of you who are new, we at Project E?ye does not shy away from important, sometimes heavy topics. This year, we are producing our second film about a surprising topic that has dominated post screening conversations for the past three years –– Secrets. 

Season three is all about showing you the behind the scenes of what it’s like to produce a film – well, I should say “telling” you right? Either way, consider yourself invited on a journey where you will have a chance to meet our cast of characters, discuss the overarching themes and you’ll get your fair share of the push and pull of the sometimes grueling creative process of finding the story and figuring out how best to tell it  

In this episode, I introduce you to Rosalia Rivera, Founder of Consent Parenting, host of the About Consent Podcast, and creator of Consent Wear. Rosalia teaches parents, particularly child sexual abuse survivors, how to educate their children on body safety, boundaries, and consent so that they can empower their families to prevent abuse and break intergenerational cycles. Rosalia is on a mission to end child sexual abuse, dismantle shame, and help survivors heal and become thrivers.

Throughout this episode, you will hear clips from Rosalia discussing the importance of consent as it relates to the parent-to-child physical relationship. Paired with her insight, I begin to discuss my own experiences with physical boundaries being crossed. As a parent, it is hard to imagine crossing boundaries with our own family, but as Rosalia points out, it can be in the subtlest of ways in which we connect with our family that can have the biggest impact. 

Throughout this episode, you will also hear my creative partner, Henry, and Project E?ye Senior Editor, Matt, reflect on behaviors within their own familial relationships. I know this topic is a heavy one, so thank you for being here with me today. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• We introduce Season 3 of The Self-ish Latina Podcast [0:44]
•  I introduce Rosalia Rivera who shares how she started her work as an abuse specialist [2:25 – 6:07] 
• Rosalia discusses parenting challenges associated with unhealed trauma [6:07] 
• We listen to a YouTube audio clip about parent-to-child affection and how consent plays a crucial role in setting these dynamics [8:26] 
• I discuss my own experience with a family member crossing my boundaries and how it can be difficult to talk about with them [10:15] 
• Rosalia teaches us about crossing boundaries with children and how this can affect the message you give to your child [12:55] 
• Henry and Matt discuss the subtle ways we are conditioned as a culture to not recognize boundary crossing with our own families [14:30]
• We learn that if we work on setting our own boundaries, we can be better models for others [18:08] 
• We listen to a one-on-one coaching call between Rosalia and I inside the E?ye Dream Accelerator? [21:20]
• We discuss how Rosalia uses various platforms to make heavy topics more “fun” to get her important message across [23:15]
• I talk about how not sharing my secrets has affected me, and carrying this pain has kept me from healing… but that ends now [27: 47] 
• Rosalia speaks on how being vulnerable and having the courage to share can help others gain that courage too. You are not alone [30:05] 
• Closing hopes for the community [33:07] 

Resource Links

National Resources for Sexual Assault Victims, Survivors, and Loved Ones

• National Sexual Assault Hotline: National hotline, operated by RAINN, that serves people affected by sexual violence. It automatically routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search your local center here. Hotline: 800.656.HOPE
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center: This site offers a wide variety of information relating to sexual violence including a large legal resource library.
• National Organization for Victim Assistance: Founded in 1975, NOVA is the oldest national victim assistance organization of its type in the United States as the recognized leader in this noble cause.
• National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women: VAWnet, a project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence hosts a resource library home of thousands of materials on violence against women and related issues, with particular attention to its intersections with various forms of oppression.
• U.S. Department of Justice: National Sex Offender Public Website: NSOPW is the only U.S. government Website that links public state, territorial, and tribal sex offender registries from one national search site.
• The National Center for Victims of Crime: The mission of the National Center for Victims of Crime is to forge a national commitment to help victims of crime rebuild their lives. They are dedicated to serving individuals, families, and communities harmed by crime.
• National Street Harassment Hotline: Created by Stop Street Harassment, Defend Yourself, and operated by RAINN, the National Street Harassment Hotline is a resource for those affected by gender-based street harassment. Support is available in English and Spanish: call 855.897.5910 or chat online. 

To support Rosalia and her work, you can follow her on every social media platform by searching “Consent Parenting” (Instagram, Facebook, Website) and listen to her podcast called About Consent. 

Thought Questions & Reflections

Thank you for taking the time to get vulnerable with us at Project E?ye – it isn’t easy. I encourage you to reflect on the learning moments Rosalia has beautifully laid out for us. 

1. What have you noticed about your familial relationships and dynamics?
2. Are there any new boundaries you want to set for yourself?
3. Have you learned or discovered anything new about a past trauma? What do you need to begin to heal? 

Join the conversation about this episode in our Facebook group or shoot me a DM on IG @projectenye and share some of your answers with me there!

You can find the full transcript of this episode here. 

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