Business

Yvonne Sandomir: Giving a Voice to Survivors of Sexual Abuse

January 18, 2023

Childhood sexual abuse has been called the epidemic of the 21st Century. Most victims of sexual abuse develop trauma that lasts them their whole lives. They have difficulty socializing, forming long-term relationships, and maintaining permanent jobs.

Furthermore, victims, especially children, find it difficult to voice their abuse. According to psychology experts, both children and adult survivors may find it challenging to share their stories because of: the stigmatization of victims, betrayal, especially when the abuser is known, shame, the feeling of being partly responsible, cultural or religious reasons, and the fear of punishment.

For these reasons, Yvonne Sandomir chose to share her story in her book, The Invisible Girl, and give a voice to the helpless. When asked about the book in an interview, she said, “My story is important because it isn’tisn’t just my story. There are more than 42 million adult survivors of child sexual abuse. Many more children are being victimized right now that we don’tdon’t know about. I hope that other survivors will see that they deserve to heal and will seek the help of a therapist to begin their journey.”

Yvonne Sandomir is an author from Florida. She is also a Cognitive Behavioral Life Coach specializing in mindfulness techniques, a wife, and a mother to two girls. She grew up in the South, where sex and sexual abuse were taboo. Yvonne’sYvonne’s upbringing was precarious. From the tender age of four, Yvonne was exposed to different kinds of trauma, including sexual abuse, parental abuse, incest, and drug abuse.

As a teenager, Yvonne became overwhelmed with all the horror around her, and she decided that the best solution was to run away from home. However, as she would soon realize, the trauma of her experiences would follow her wherever she went.

Only in her adulthood, and after countless hours in therapy, could she start unearthing the story of a childhood filled with abuse and betrayal. Part of her healing process was finding her voice as a victim and wanting to use it to help others. The outcome was her memoir, The Invisible Girl. The biography is not only a narration of her story as a victim but a guide on spotting the signs of abuse, overcoming trauma, and breaking generational cycles of abuse.

One of the tools she advocates for is therapy. Yvonne started treatment after encouragement from her husband and prides therapy because she has dealt with years of trauma and wrote her book. She firmly believes that every survivor should have a support system around them, a system that preferably includes a licensed therapist, “Through my book, I hope to let my readers know that it is ok to ask for help.”

The Invisible Girl encourages victims that there can still be life after trauma. It is available for purchase on Amazon and Audible. Yvonne also donates a tenth of all the proceeds from her book to Lauren’sLauren’s Kids, a charity that helps child victims of sexual abuse.

Website:

https://theinvisiblegirlmemoir.com/