Embracing Hope, Healing and Empowerment: Helping Victims of Multiple Traumas Reclaim Their Lives 

No longer a victim or even a survivor, she is a thriver who isn’t stuck in her angry or need for revenge. Living well is her best revenge as she creates a new future for herself and her children, breaking the cycle of violence in their lives. Learn innovative, evidence-based practices successfully used to empower survivors who have experienced abuse (e.g. domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse) to manifest an authentic life of power and purpose beyond trauma, violence and abuse. This session will include interactive exercises that build on the resiliency of survivors and promote their self-determination and healing process. Learn how to empower survivors to get positive energy, focus their desires and overcome their fears or limiting beliefs about themselves. Techniques to be demonstrated include positive story-telling that reconnects survivors to a part of them untouched by all that has happened and counters negative and limiting beliefs about themselves that sabotage movement forward. Come explore the power of fueling a survivor’s life with hope, power and purpose so that they can take the critical “next-step” from survivor to thriver and reclaim their lives.

Presenter:  Susan Omilian, JD 

Susan Omilian JD is an attorney, author and motivational speaker who has worked to end violence against women for the last forty years. With the death of her nineteen-year-old niece Maggie, shot and killed in 1999 by her ex-boyfriend, Susan vowed to help victims move on after abuse as Maggie could not. She is the originator and facilitator of My Avenging Angel WorkshopsTM based on the idea that “living well is the best revenge.” Since 2001, her workshops have helped survivors take the journey beyond abuse from victim to survivor to thriver. In her presentation, Susan shares the motivational guidance she has successfully used over the last twenty years with hundreds of survivors including her “Seven Steps to Thriving After Abuse” and “A Road Map to Manifest a Life of Power and Purpose.” With easy-to-use worksheets, interactive exercises and thriver success stories, Susan’s innovative materials and books are valuable not only for victims and survivors of abuse but also for their families, friends, counselors and therapists in support groups and individual counseling

Presenter: Cindy Hedges

Cindy Hedges is Executive Director of Services to Abused Families, Inc. (SAFE), a non-profit agency providing shelter, support, and advocacy to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault (DV/SA) in five rural counties of Virginia.  To this work, Cindy brings 19 years of empathetic perspective and dedication to those affected by violence.  In 2001, when Cindy became a therapeutic foster parent to two sons, survivors of DV/SV, she quickly realized the root element of trauma must be explored for healing transformations to occur. She joined the Culpeper County Victim/Witness Program as Assistant Director for 10 years, supporting victims of all crimes. For five years, she was Chairperson of  Culpeper DV/SV Task Force and after four years on SAFE’s board, she became its Director. Cindy uses her formidable collaboration skills to consistently find opportunities to grow, encouraging and educating those she supports to see a path to healing transformation. 

Earn 2.0 Continuing Education Credit Hours!