[TW: sexual violence & child sexual abuse – discussed from the start] I sit down with a survivor of sexual violence Madeleine Black, who shares her extraordinary journey — from the silence she held for years, to the shame that followed her through school and the deep impact it had on her sense of identity. She speaks openly about the PTSD she didn’t know she had, the physical toll it took on her body, and how trauma can remain locked in our cells long after the event.

We explore how she began to heal — through therapy and confronting the memories she had once buried. She shares how her body would shake, cry, and throw up during sessions — and how, despite all of it, she found her way through. What’s remarkable is how forgiveness entered her life, not as a decision, but as something she describes as “accidental.” She didn’t seek revenge. Instead, she chose to heal — not for anyone else, but for herself.

We also look into the cultural side of this story — the rise in misogyny and violence towards women, the danger of men like Andrew Tate and why we need to talk about how to educate young men. Shows like Netflix’s Adolescence are doing important work in this space, and we unpack how early conversations about consent, boundaries, and empathy can change everything.

This episode is a powerful, intelligent and moving looking at what it really takes to heal, why shame is so powerful — and how survival is never simple, but always possible.

Thank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -

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Topics -

0:00 Intro

3:30 Madeleine's rock bottom

6:15 Why didn't Madeleine tell anyone?

7:30 Reputation at school

9:00 Do you blame alcohol?

11:30 Are rape survivors more likely to be raped again?

12:30 No one asked me if I was OK

14:00 What caused Madeleine to stop eating and drinking?

16:10 100% of rapes are caused by rapist's

17:20 Revenge?

19:30 I'm an accidental forgiver

21:30 Forgiving & healing yourself

23:40 I'm from a family of survivors

26:25 Trauma was locked into my cells

29:00 Healing PTSD

30:30 Strength in private moments

35:30 Letting go of shame

36:30 Lessons from Netflix's Adolescence & Andrew Tate

40:20 Sponsor

41:20 How do we educate young people?

42:30 Why young men become incels

Follow

46:30 Going in to get out!

51:40 What do you want written on your gravestone?

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Website - https://madeleineblack.co.uk

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