Welcome to The Lionhearted, a podcast featuring stories by the brave and badass people who spend their lives fighting the one thing absolutely no one wants to talk about - child sexual abuse.
In this episode, we feature two people, a lionhearted couple named Kevin and Tashanna McNeil, who share the very hard truth that you cannot outrun trauma.
As they write so perfectly in their new book, “We meet on dates. Our trauma meets in relationships.” We dive into that big topic and how we need each other to heal.
We also discuss the often ignored crisis, which is that first responders, such as Kevin, who was a special victims detective, and Tashanna, who is an Pediatric Urgent Care nurse, carry so much vicarious trauma and are woefully under supported. The helpers need help too. The good news is that there is hope yet and it can be found in their new book called Sound the Alarm: The Challenges First Responders Face and the S.A.F.E.R. Method to Overcome Them.
Trigger Warning:
Please note that this episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some people may find disturbing. If any of the content in this podcast has brought anything up for you, please reach out or speak to someone you trust.
Darkness to Light, a leading nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention, also provides links to resources for support. Full disclosure: Andrea Harner is currently Board Chairperson of Darkness to Light.
Email us your thoughts!
lionheartedpod@gmail.com
Host: Andrea Harner
Guest: Kevin McNeil, Tashanna McNeil
Producer: Andrea Harner and Amanda Kelso
Editing: Kevin Tosi
Resources mentioned on the show:
- Sound the Alarm: The Challenges First Responders Face and the S.A.F.E.R. Method to Overcome Them by Kevin McNeil and Tashanna McNeil - Available on Amazon
- The Twelve Project
- Being First: A Course for First Responders on The Twelve Project
- Follow Kevin McNeil on Instagram: @kevin_mcneil_
- The Twelve Project on LinkedIn
- The Twelve Project on Facebook
Additional resources:
- Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dermoot Lipsky
- Trauma Proofing Your Kids by Peter Levine, Maggie Kline
- Trauma and Childhood Development resources by Darkness to Light
- Darkness to Light National and State Resources
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.