Finding Hope and Healing: Navigating the Journey from Sexual Trauma

On June 2, 2025May 28, 2025 By Naty MatosIn ThriveLeave a comment

Healing from sexual trauma is a deeply personal journey that requires courage, support, and understanding. In our recent conversation on Thrive by The Rising Muse, with Tabitha Westbrook, a licensed trauma therapist and author, we explored the pathways to restoration and hope. Her insights offer a beacon of light for those seeking healing.

Understanding the Urgency:
Tabitha emphasizes the critical need to address sexuality after trauma. “People are realizing and reckoning with the harm they’ve experienced,” she notes, highlighting the importance of movements like Me Too in creating safe spaces for survivors to share their stories.

The Role of Faith and Community:
Faith and community play pivotal roles in the healing process. Tabitha shares, “God is also a God of how and practicality,” underscoring the importance of practical steps and community support in the journey towards healing.

Building Healthy Relationships:
A key aspect of healing is learning to build healthy relationships. Tabitha advises, “Prioritize friendship first, and good things will come from that.” Understanding and respecting boundaries are essential in fostering connections that support healing.

Healing from sexual trauma is not a linear path, but with faith, community, and a commitment to personal growth, it is possible to find hope and restoration. As Tabitha reminds us, “The same God that brought me out, He can bring you out.”
Tabitha Westbrook, LMFT-S, LCMHC-QS, LPC-S, is a licensed therapist who helps people who have messy, funky pasts (and sometimes messy, funky presents) live amazing, empowered lives today. In addition to being a licensed counselor and supervisor, Tabitha is an EMDR Certified Therapist and Approved Consultant, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Certified Christian Trauma Care Provider.

She’s the Founder & CEO of The Journey and The Process, a private practice with offices in North Carolina and Texas, specializing in complex trauma, with a focus on domestic abuse and coercive control. Tabitha’s a nationally known expert and speaker on domestic abuse & coercive control, providing training to churches, therapists, and agencies. She also helps train domestic abuse advocates through Called to Peace Ministries’ faith-based advocacy training, as well as co-facilitates the G5 Men’s Batterer Intervention Group. Tabitha is the author of the forthcoming book Body & Soul, Healed & Whole: An Invitational Guide to Healthy Sexuality After Trauma, Abuse, and Coercive Control.

Join us on this journey of healing and hope. Subscribe to Thrive by The Rising Muse for more insightful conversations and support.

Embracing Homeschooling

On July 29, 2024July 20, 2024 By Naty MatosIn ThriveLeave a comment

As the back-to-school season approaches, families everywhere are bustling with preparations. But what does back-to-school look like for homeschooling families compared to those with children in traditional schools? Our latest episode of ‘Thrive by The Rising Muse’ dives deep into this very topic with our special guest, Nicole Richards, a dedicated homeschooling mother and life coach.

One of the highlights of this episode is Nicole’s philosophy of fitting education to the child, rather than forcing the child into a rigid educational model. She shares how she tailors the educational experience to meet the individual needs of each of her children, creating a learning environment that fosters growth and creativity.

Balancing homeschooling with a professional career can be challenging. Nicole opens up about how she manages her dual roles as a homeschooling parent and a life coach. She offers practical advice and encouragement for parents considering homeschooling but worried about juggling these responsibilities.

Social Interactions and Extracurricular Activities

How do homeschoolers ensure their children have ample social interactions and extracurricular opportunities? Nicole discusses the various avenues available to homeschooling families that might not be as accessible to traditionally schooled children. From co-op groups to specialized classes, she provides a wealth of information on how to enrich the homeschooling experience.

Are you curious about homeschooling? Do you want to learn more about how to tailor education to fit your child’s unique needs? Tune in to this episode of ‘Thrive by The Rising Muse’ for an inspiring conversation that will leave you informed and motivated. Whether you’re a seasoned homeschooler or just exploring the idea, Nicole’s insights are sure to resonate with you.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and tips from a seasoned homeschooler. Listen to the full episode now on ‘Thrive by The Rising Muse’ and join the conversation!

About Nichole Richards

Nicole Richards is an Bestselling Author, Podcaster, Human Potential and Personal Reinvention Coach. She works with faith-focused visionaries and executives seeking the biblical connection, between faith, and business. Her methodology with clients is based on a ‘whole life approach,’ helping people discover their ‘life’s work’ by establishing meaningful connections in their business and relationships.

Nicole had a successful 22-year career as an entrepreneur in the beauty and wedding industry. Her multi-six-figure business included a retail store and a team of 15 artists. After closing her studio and retiring her brushes, she now uses her business expertise to help others achieve fulfilment in their financial and spiritual journeys.

Her Podcast, Minding His Business, explores the fascinating intersection between business, life and exploring our faith. Through engaging discussions and thought-provoking interviews, listeners are taken on a journey of self-discovery in building the connections between building a business based on faith. She stresses the importance of running a business that aligns with God’s word. She gives her listeners the tools and inspiration needed to thrive in their professional lives and walk with God. Nicole homeschools her children near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Listen to the Episode: https://youtu.be/0NfoPrruAmI

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Stay tuned for more engaging discussions on faith, family, and mental health on ‘Thrive by The Rising Muse’!

What My Teaching Career Taught Me About Writing

On August 19, 2013August 9, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

By Jayna Morrow

Over the summer, something magical happens. The organization fairy pays a visit to my empty classroom and transforms it into the most magnificent, color-coordinated learning environment on the planet. Books are sorted, supplies are materialized, papers are filed, new draperies are sewn, bulletin boards are trimmed, and desks are placed neatly in rows. When I arrive for in-service week, my co-workers and I take in a few workshops and meetings, and then have lunch and reminisce about our relaxing summer vacations at the beach.

Christian romance author, Jayna Morrow, is published with Prism Book Group both in print and eBook formats. With a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Texas and elementary teaching certification from LeTourneau University, Jayna has been in the position of both teacher and student for many years. Her debut novel, Garrett, is the first in the Sweet Home, Texas series. The theme of Garrett is finding God’s purpose and trusting in God’s plan. Jayna makes regularl guest blogging appearances all over the internet, and has even been featured at eReader News Today, eFiction Finds, and Christian eBooks Today.

Did you pick up on the sarcasm in that first paragraph? In reality, I am my own organization fairy, complete with construction paper wings dusted with chalk. I spend several days a week during June and July in my hot classroom (there’s only air conditioning on certain days) sorting books by level and topic, taking inventory on supplies, filing and prioritizing paperwork, sewing new draperies and reading cushions, decorating bulletin boards, experimenting with different seating arrangements, and scouring yard sales for treasure chest trinkets, more books, craft materials, and odds and ends. Summer is also the time for the bulk of my lesson planning. Going through the TEKS and matching them up with fun projects and engaging activities, so I’m prepared for every teachable moment, makes me a better teacher.

And therein lies the key to success that applies to writing as well – preparation.

I’m a plotter by nature and that means putting on my teaching cap and doing a lot of prep work. I’d never take on a class of 22 students without a lesson plan, and I’d never take on a new manuscript without an outline. From characters and plot points to problems and solutions, I have a method for them all. Every day for a month, I uncover another layer in the pre-writing process. Then comes the rough outline and first draft. Finally, a finished product I can work with on many rounds of editing. In all, it takes me about 4 months to complete a novel. My goal is 4 books a year, so I’m working on efficiency to improve my productivity. Like my students, I have goals.

I have many writer friends who are pantsers, and all I can say about them is that they are like those gifted students who never have to study and make straight A’s. I commend them. Writing a novel is no easy task. I’m the kind of student who has to study a lot, take good notes, highlight important information, and keep a detailed binder on everything. Maybe that’s why I’m a plotter? Teaching and writing go hand-in-hand. It’s a process that spans a certain length of time, requires a fair amount of learning, and involves setting and achieving goals.

Have I accomplished all my goals? Yes, some of them. Then I set new ones. My experience as a teacher has taught me to set high expectations. I’ll let you, the reader, decide if I achieved those expectations.

“You can make plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:21

What happens when you’re living the dream and things suddenly change? Micara Lee’s charming existence starts slipping away as land developers threaten the town she loves.

What happens when your dream doesn’t align with God’s plan for your life? Garrett Hearth finds out when an injury ends his athletic career. Disenchantment and wavering faith keep him from the life he desires. Micara’s beautiful spirit touches Garrett’s heart… but can she help restore his faith and convince him to live the life God has planned for him?

Their happiness and the legacy of Sweet Home, Texas hang in the balance.

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