The Journey to Heal Podcast

Welcome to the first episode of 2026! My name is Crystal Sutherland, your host for the Journey to Heal Podcast. If you are listening today, I want you to know this first: you are safe here, you are seen, and you are deeply loved by God.

As we step into a new year, many voices tell us to “move on,” “start fresh,” or “leave the past behind.”

But for survivors of sexual abuse, the new year doesn’t automatically erase the pain, the memories, or the questions. And God does not ask us to pretend those things never h...

Hello Friend! I'm so glad you're tuning in today for this special episode. 

On the podcast with me today is my friend, Dr. Jordan Martine, PT, DPT of Salt & Light Physical Therapy and Integrative Wellness in Wilmington, NC. This is Part 2 of a two-part Physical Health Series for survivors we're doing during the month of April.

Jordan has partnered and collaborated with Journey to Heal Ministries in various ways over the years, and most recently took part in a Conversation of Hope event we hosted last year, to help survivors learn more about some of p...

Have you met Adrianne Simeone , Founder of The Mama Bear Effect The Mama Bear Effect? Tune into this episode and you'll get a chance to "meet" and hear about her passion for empowering parents and caregivers to protect children from sexual abuse!

Adrianne founded the Mama Bear Effect in the fall of 2012. She is a resident of Massachusetts, with her husband, John, and their four children. A graduate of Babson College of Business, Adrianne spent most of her professional career working for her father’s business in marketing and sales. After the birth of their first child, sh...

Join me for Part 1 of a two-part Health Series I'm doing with local practioners that serve my local community, but more importantly large number of survivors of sexual abuse. 

My first guest you'll hear from in Part 1 today is Dr. Austin Strickland. Dr. Strickland is the founder and the primary practioner of Halo Method: Wilmington's cornerstone in healing neuropathy, hormone imbalance, and other chronic conditions.

Dr. Strickland found us online and reached out earlier this year to connect on how we could collaborate to better serve survivors in our community. After learning that he serves a...

What is your New Year's Resolution? Or, are you like me and resolutions aren't your thing?

Today I'm talking about moving forward in faith and healing, My One Word for this year, and inviting you to consider where you need to make some intentional shifts towards better...and more...

Better living, healing, and relationships...and more faith, hope, and healing in this new year.

My One Word for this year is "Pray" and in this episide I'm taking time to pray for you. I'd love to hear from you. You can email me...

Everyone struggles at some point in knowing who they are and what their purpose in life is. This is a part of the human condition. 

For anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, it is easy to slip into a the identity of "abused", "broken", or "damaged goods." It's easy to listen to the lies we've been told about ourselves or the ones we've perceived because of the abuse we've experienced.  

But, if we want to heal and move forward in faith we need to learn the truth of who we are, according to God's Word, an...

Well it's been a minute since my last episode in February! We have been super busy at Journey to Heal Ministries with all the things: groups, mentoring, and our 5th Annual Hope Run event in April - and so much more. I'm delighted to hop back on here to pick up where I left off with some encouragement and wisdom for your healing journey.

In this episode I'm talking about identity and where it stems from. This month I'm going to be sharing a series on our true identity - our God-given identity.  I'll be talking from s...

Are you a survivor struggling in your marriage? Especially in the area of physical intimacy?

Tune in today for Part 2 of a conversation with our host, Crystal Sutherland, and her husband Wes as they share very openly about their story as a married couple navigating marriage and intimacy in the journey of healing from  childhood sexual abuse.

This episode is the  second part of a two part conversation that Wes and Crystal share to help offer some insight and hope for married couples who have experienced similar trauma in childhood or adulthood.

Thank yo...

Are you a survivor struggling in your marriage? Especially in the area of physical intimacy?

Tune in today for a conversation with our host and CSA survivor, Crystal Sutherland, and her husband Wes as they talk about their story as a married couple navigating the unknown of how to do life together in light of unhealed wounds of childhood sexual abuse.

This episode is the first part of a two part conversation that Wes and Crystal share to help offer some insight and hope for married couples navigating the healing journey together.

Thank...

On the podcast today we're chatting with our friend Michelle Viscuse about healing, hope, and preventing sexual abuse. Michelle is a survivor, blogger, writer, and Bible teacher. She has a Masters in Biblical Counseling and a passion to inspire women to find courage, hope, and freedom from their past.

Michelle says, "Jesus delivered me from a past filled with secrets and shame...and I want to help others experience the same freedom."

In this episode, Michelle shares insight on what it was like for her to establish boundaries in...

Are you a college student? Do you love someone who is? If so, this episode is for you!

In this episode you'll hear from Madison Hartley, a senior at UNC Wilmington studying Psychology and Neuro Science. Madison recently joined our team at Journey to Heal Ministries as an intern for Summer and Fall. She share's her heart for helping young women like herself, who have experienced sexual assault during their college years.

Sadly, like so many college age women, Madison was sexually assaulted by someone within her circle of trust. In this episode Madison shares...

On the podcast with me today is my pastor and friend, Mike Ashcraft - senior pastor at Port City Community Church in Wilmington, NC.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the journey ahead, and in need of hope and a sense of purpose for the pain you've been through, this episode is for you!

In this episode we're diving deep into his latest book, To Be Concluded: How to Prevent Your Past from Piling Up and Find Hope for Your Future . Tune in as Mike shares about the  heart behind his message and what inspired him to...

Do you have one of those crazy childhoods? The kind you shy away from sharing with friends because there are parts to it that are either just hard to explain, that are hurtful, or perhaps parts you’re not very proud of…

Maybe certain parts are painful to remember?

If so, then you've tuned into a  great episode today!

Today I’m talking about seeds planted and early roots that can establish in our lives, and how they can impact us positively or negatively. I'm asking you to take a look your roots and whe...

Welcome to the 12th Episode of the Journey to Heal Podcast! We took a brief break from recording, and we're thrilled to be back again to share hope and encouragement for your journey of faith and healing.

In this new episode I have the privilege of chatting with a new friend about trauma, healing, and the healing power of helping others . Her name is Gahlia Brogneri and she is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Adonis Musati Project - a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the refugee community  in South Africa.

Gahlia has worked i...

How do you establish and maintain healthy relationships  when you've experienced past abuse?  

What does it look like to trust again, when trust has been broken for you? 
Can you have a healthy marriage as a survivor, and how do you navigate that? 
What about intimacy with your spouse? Is it possible, really?

Today I'm talking about the hope we have for establishing healthy relationships - in spite of experiencing past sexual abuse. 

Over the next several episodes I'll be sharing about ways I've learned to navigate this part of the journe...

This episode wraps up our series on Caring Well for the Abused. Join me today as I chat with my dear friend, Maggie McLamb of New Pathways Counseling.

Maggie shares from years of counseling experience, as well as her own personal experience as a survivor on her heart for the church become a safe place for survivors to find hope in Christ and ultimately heal. She is a delight, and my hope is that what she shares with our listeners will encourage and inspire action towards becoming a church that cares well for the abused.

...

This week we're continuing our three part series  on  caring well for the abused, as the body of Christ. In today's episode I'm chatting with Chantelle Alvarez of Templo De La Cruz church in CA. Chantelle is wife, mother, survivor, and an assistant pastor at her church. She is also a Journey to Heal Ministries Mentor and group leader.

Tune in as Chantelle shares about her experience as both a leader within her church community, and a survivor of sexual abuse.  God is using her to bring hope and healing to many in her own community. She sha...

"When (sexual) abuse is acknowledged by the church it helps it become a subject that can be addressed and not just hidden away." - Lesley Crawford

In Today's episode I'm chatting with my friend, Lesley Crawford, from Edinburgh Scotland. Lesley is a JTH Mentor, survivor, and elder in her church. She works for a Christian charity that helps children in her community. She has a big heart for helping other survivors find hope and healing in Christ, and leveraging her story to help her local church community care well for the abused.

Tune in as...

Does your local church address sexual abuse?
Are there programs in place that provide care for survivors?
Are measures being taken to safeguard children from predators?
Are the words sexual abuse, trauma, or sexual sin woven into the fabric of topics or conversations taking place within your local church, and if not, why?
Why should you care, and how does the affect you?

These are just some of the questions I'm asking today, and will be discussing over the next several episodes with various survivors and church leaders across the country. Tune in...

In today's podcast episode I'm talking with my friend Emily Parker about #HOPERUN2021 and the why behind the race. We're also chatting it up about how to safeguard children and why we need to have those brave and hard conversations with our kids early on in their developmental years, about body safety, private parts, no means no, and so much more.  

Emily candidly shares her heart as a survivor and as a mother of a child who has been sexually abused. She explains the reasons she is passionate about raising awareness and why she believes it's so i...

Do you struggle with fear and doubt? Tune in today as I chat with my friend, Michelle Viscuse, as we talk about faith, hope, and healing from hard things.

Michelle is a survivor, author and blogger. She is hosting our annual Hope Run event in her community in Durham, NC again this year in an effort to help raise awareness and support for survivors of sexual abuse!

You can connect with Michelle on social media on Instagram/Facebook at @journeypink

Her blog and website is: http://www.journeypink.com

Thank you...

April is sexual assault awareness month. It is also child abuse awareness month. At JTHM we’re taking this opportunity to shine a light on these epidemics and provide hope for healing. 

Did you know that based on reported cases, every 73 seconds someone in America is sexually assaulted and every 9 minutes that someone is a child? What is more, if nothing changes 1 in 10 children will be sexually assaulted before they turn 18. It is estimated there are well over 42 million adult survivors in America today. 

In this episode I’m chatting with my friend Sarah Embers from K...

Do you know God loves you, or do you know  his love for you?

Is it something you are aware of in your head, or have you received it in your heart?

Today’s episode dives deeper into God's love for us and how accepting and receiving His love in your heart will transform your life.

If we're honest, love isn't always easy - giving it or receiving it. But this is especially true when we've experienced hurt, rejection, neglect or abuse of any kind. While we are not defined by those experiences, the...

Do you treat others better than you treat yourself? 

Do you cringe at the idea of self care, as if taking care of yourself is a selfish thing to do?

It’s often said that hurting people hurt people, and more often than not it's the one who is hurt that hurts themselves the most. I don’t know who first came up with that, but it’s true. Maybe you’ve been on the receiving end of someone’s hurt…or perhaps you’ve let your pain dictate how you treat yourself or others.

Tune in to...

Are you a survivor of sexual abuse, or love someone who is?

Tune in to this introductory episode of The Journey to Heal Podcast to hear from Journey to Heal Ministries founder, Crystal Sutherland, as she shares about the history and mission of Journey to Heal Ministries, her own healing journey from childhood sexual abuse, and the hope we all have in Christ - not only to survive painful circumstances we may experience in life, but to thrive in the life we were created to live.

Journey to Heal Ministries is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based...

Welcome to the Journey to Heal Podcast! I’m your host, Crystal Sutherland.  I am a writer, author, and the founder of JTHM’s, a ministry dedicated to helping survivors heal from past sexual trauma, through hope in Jesus Christ. As a survivor myself, I know how challenging and lonely the healing journey can be. That is why Journey to Heal exists. 

This podcast is dedicated to providing hope and inspiration for anyone healing from hard things. Whether you are a survivor yourself, or love someone who is, I’m delighted you’re here!

I'll be sharing...