Braver Collective, 10 Town Plaza #138, Durango, CO (2025)

11/22/2025

Hi, 👋🏻 my name is 𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 .clements and I am part of Braver Collective’s Reflecting Pool, a group of survivors helping to shape the tools and resources for survivors at Braver Collective.

As a survivor, I’ve found that spirituality and grounding have been central to my healing journey. Reconnecting with something bigger than myself—through faith, community, or personal reflection—has helped me feel anchored in both my personal life and my work supporting others.

I want to help hold space for anyone needing a place to be real and honest about where they are in their healing journey. It’s not always easy, but finding connection and community has made a huge difference for me.

Today, I’m sharing a simple grounding exercise you can do anywhere:

🌿 Body Scan for Grounding

1️⃣ Find a comfortable position—sitting, standing, eyes open or closed.

2️⃣ Take deep breaths and bring your attention to your feet, slowly moving upward: ankles → calves → knees → thighs → torso → arms → shoulders → head

3️⃣ Notice any areas of tension or discomfort without judgment. Simply observe what feels warm, uncomfortable, or good—there’s no right way to do this.

4️⃣ Take a few extra deep breaths, honoring the places that need TLC.

This exercise is all about tuning into your body, noticing what’s present, and giving yourself a moment of care.

For more tools on spirituality, grounding, and reconnecting with your higher self, check out “Spirituality and Grounding: Reconnecting with Your Higher Self” at bravercollective.org/resources (or click the link in bio) ✨

𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬-𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 (she/her) | Survivor & Associate Therapist blending EMDR, somatic healing, and faith-rooted grounding into survivor support.

11/21/2025

Hi, I’m Andy Quintana Vendrell 💛

I’m a Reflector for Braver Collective’s Reflecting Pool. I’m a creative coach and working towards being a licensed social worker.

Frankly this is the type of resource I wish I had when I needed it but I didn’t and I turned to creativity as a method of healing.

Creativity—and dance especially—has always been a huge part of my healing as a survivor. For a long time, being in my body felt overwhelming. Dance asked me to be present, to feel, to move with myself instead of away from myself. Little by little, I found acceptance, love, and safety in my own body again. And that was incredibly empowering.

One thing I’ve learned as a therapist and coach is this:
the more we heal, the more we return to creativity.
Movement becomes a possibility again.

So today, I’m sharing a few simple practices you can try if you’re exploring touch, grounding, or reconnecting with your body:

✨ The Butterfly Hug — cross your arms gently over your chest and tap side to side. Slow, rhythmic, soothing.

✨ Gentle Face Washing — lovingly trace your hands over your face like warm water; soften your jaw, cheeks, and temples.

✨ Side-to-Side Dance Flow — shift your weight, let your arms melt and sweep across your body, and explore self-touch through soft, intuitive movement.
Move at your pace. Stop if anything doesn’t feel right.
And remember—your body deserves tenderness, safety, and joy. 💛

11/19/2025

The recent 2025 Title IX rollbacks have changed what protections survivors have on campus — from live hearings to reduced LGBTQIA+ safeguards.

Navigating these changes can feel overwhelming, but you are not alone.

Kenyora Lenair Johnson () MSW — CEO of — breaks it down in our newest resource article, “Navigating Campus Sexual Violence: Understanding Title IX, Your Rights, and the Power of Collective Healing.”

This guide explains:
1️⃣ How Title IX reporting works and what accommodations you can request
2️⃣ Options for prioritizing your healing without filing a formal complaint
3️⃣ Off-campus and legal pathways if your school process feels unsafe

✨ Remember: “You get to decide what healing looks like. You get to take your time. You deserve spaces that affirm your voice, your truth, and your pace.” - Kenyora Lenair Johnson

💜 Explore survivor stories, free resources, and Kenyora’s full article → link in bio

🤝 Start here for additional support:
(EROC) – survivor support + policy advocacy
/ Know Your IX: Guides for navigating Title IX and understanding your rights.
– state-level policy action
– LGBTQIA+ youth support
– student athlete initiatives
– policy and advocacy
– legal resources

10/30/2025

Writing can be healing. ✍️💛 Here’s a gentle way to start:

Step 1: Read a poem or passage that moves you. Let a word or line catch your attention.
Step 2: Write freely from that spark. Don’t overthink—let your pen wander for 5–10 minutes.
Step 3: Read your words out loud. Listen to yourself. Witness your story.

Even a few minutes can help you release, reflect, and reclaim your voice. 🌿

Tap the link to explore the full exercise and start writing your healing journey: https://bravercollective.org/resources/writing-as-medicine

10/28/2025

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞.

I’m a survivor of narcissistic abuse, sexual assault, and systemic failure. I share this not for pity, but for truth. For every woman who’s been silenced, dismissed, or retraumatized by the very systems meant to protect her. I write this to reclaim my voice—and help others find theirs.”

👉Click the link in bio to read Kimberly’s full story: “Marching Through Madness — My Survival Story”

Meet Kimberly Anderson, a survivor whose strength redefines resilience. After enduring narcissistic abuse, sexual assault, near-fatal injuries, and unimaginable betrayal by the justice system—she chose to fight for her life, her voice, and her purpose.

Her story is more than survival — it’s proof that healing is possible, no matter the odds.

𝘽𝙞𝙤: Kimberly is a Houston-based poet, artist, and trauma-informed educator whose work bridges healing and empowerment. Her advocacy lives through poetry and visual art that speak to resilience, reclamation, and emotional truth. She is the author of A Heart Devoured, a raw collection that reflects her journey of survival and spiritual restoration.

10/23/2025

𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚, and you don’t have to do it alone. 💜

Braver Collective is a supportive, inclusive healing community created by, with, and for survivors of sexual trauma.

Together, we’re building the kind of healing space we’ve always needed.

Together, we’re here—holding space for you, for us, as a collective of survivors.

This is a space to grieve, to heal, and to find our path forward—together.

Here’s how survivors can begin to connect, reflect, and feel supported:

✨ Read and share survivor stories
✨ Explore free, trusted healing resources created by survivors and professionals
✨ Connect with others who truly understand

Wherever you are in your journey, you are not alone.

Visit BraverCollective.org to explore more.

10/23/2025

We are the children who once trusted.
We are the ones whose innocence was taken from us.

In Cynthia Hansford’s “The Monster I Trusted,” we are reminded that monsters can hide in the places we feel safest, thriving in moments meant to protect us.

Our voices. Our stories. Especially the ones that tell difficult truths.
They can make people uncomfortable—but sharing them honors our younger selves and lights a path toward courage, resilience, and healing.

𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐢𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

Cynthia Hansford (she/her) is a wife, mom, writer, and literacy specialist. Her work explores resilience, silence, and survival, and her stories give voice to difficult truths, hoping to spark empathy, healing, and courage in others.
💜Follow for more healing and supportive resources. BraverCollective.org – a healing community built by, with and for survivors of sexual trauma.⁠ ⁠⁠
We believe our lived experience as survivors holds deep wisdom and healing happens in community. We’ve built a space co-designed with survivors where you can read and share stories, learn about vetted resources, and engage with insights from other survivors. Healing is possible. We are building what we need, together.⁠ ⁠

10/22/2025

💔 Being in a relationship doesn’t make abuse any less real. More than 12 million people experience intimate partner violence every year. You are seen. You are believed. ✨

10/21/2025

🚫 Being in a relationship does not give anyone permission or consent for sexual assault.

We recently saw a random person comment on one of our survivor’s stories, claiming that being in a relationship somehow makes abuse “less real” or “less harmful.” To anyone suggesting this: 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟.

For anyone experiencing intimate partner violence, we see you and we’re holding space for you. There’s a collective of SA survivors who have your back. 💛

10/21/2025

This Intimate Partner Violence Awareness Month, we’re sharing hotlines and resources for anyone who needs support. If you—or someone you love—is going through intimate partner abuse, help is just a call or text away.

✨ Save this post or share it with someone who might need it.

10/20/2025

Kristina Orchard (she/her), in her story “From a Q***r Elder Survivor to you who might be beginning the journey of recovery,” reminds us that healing can move both fast and slow — but it does happen. By continuing to show up for ourselves and gently digging toward wholeness, we can find our way to a place of peace. 🌱

“On November 1, 2020, 33 years after a chance article in a magazine by a survivor, awakened me to my buried memories, and with diligent physical, emotional, and spiritual practice, a quiet feeling of acceptance, peace, and poignancy about my father came to me.”

From remembering to healing, Kristina offers us this truth:

💬 “Never forget,
No matter your fear or pain,
Or any chatter of the mind,
HEALING HAPPENS.”

Read Kristina’s full survivor story at: https://bravercollective.org/stories/from-a-q***r-elder-survivor-to-you-who-might-be-beginning-the-journey-of-recovery
—
🖤 This story was originally published in Beneath the Soil Volume III, a collaborative zine by and , featuring artwork and writing from q***r survivors of sexual violence.

Braver Collective

11/22/2025

11/21/2025

11/19/2025

10/30/2025

10/28/2025

10/23/2025

10/23/2025

10/22/2025

10/21/2025

10/21/2025

10/20/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category