May is National Mental Health Awareness Month
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month so it’s a great time to speak honestly about crisis, trauma, and the realities of suicide in the United States. It is impossible to have a serious conversation about mental health in this country without also talking about firearms. Suicide is now one of the leading causes of […]
Survivorship During the Holidays
In the tapestry of life, the threads of survivorship and the joy of holidays intertwine, creating a narrative of resilience and celebration. For survivors, the holidays days have new meaning. Occasions that were once filled with happiness can now become days that bring sadness and other difficult emotions. Holidays in particular highlight the absence of a […]
You have a right to say “no” to guns in your home
Homeowners, renters, and people who have control over a private premise (e.g. people who host an event at a rented home such as an AirBnB) have the right to prohibit firearms on the premises. A sign advising people that firearms are prohibited on the premises can be placed on the premise or in an invitation […]
Firearms fuel domestic violence-driven killing of women
Firearms are used in more than half of intimate partner homicides and two-thirds of pregnancy-related homicides in the United States. Reducing access to firearms can prevent suffering and deaths of women and children. The United Nations defines femicide as “an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation, [that] may be driven by stereotyped gender roles, discrimination towards women and […]
Remembering Jessi Redfield Ghawi
Jessi’s spirit and sacrifice shine more intensely than ever as we mark twelve years since she and eleven others were senselessly slaughtered in the 2012 Aurora, CO theater shootings. Tragically for Survivors Empowered founders Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, the shooting death of their daughter Jessi Redfield Ghawi on July 20, 2012, became the catalyst for […]
Finding Help: Tips for Survivors
In the immediate aftermath of a shooting, the shock and disorientation requires a different response than the kind of healing approaches that will become useful a bit later. Shavaun Scott, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has been working with traumatized clients for more than 25 years. Co-editor of The Forgotten Survivors of Gun VIolence: Wounded, […]