166. Jason Patrick Berry: Secrets Beneath a Perfect Childhood

This week on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I sit down with Jason Patrick Berry, author of the brave and unflinchingly honest memoir Secrets Beneath. Jason's story is one that quietly breaks your heart and then slowly helps rebuild it. On the outside, his childhood looked perfectly normal, even picturesque. But behind closed doors lived a painful reality of abuse, secrecy, and survival that no child should ever have to experience. In Secrets Beneath, Jason pulls back that veil and walks us through the lasting impact of trauma, including post trauma stress, anxiety, and emotional isolation, while also showing what it looks like to keep choosing healing day by day. This conversation is personal, raw, and deeply human. Born and raised in Connecticut and now living in Florida with his husband Shaun and their two beloved dogs, Jason brings not only his survivor voice into this space, but his heart for wellness, recovery, and holistic self-care. He speaks openly about how reconnecting with nature, creating mindful routines around health, and learning to nurture his body and nervous system have become essential parts of his healing journey. There is no polished recovery narrative here, only an honest reflection of what healing truly looks like. Layered, imperfect, courageous, and ongoing. The kind of truth that lets listeners exhale and quietly think, "I am not alone in this." What struck me most in this conversation is Jason's willingness to be completely seen. Not as some inspirational figure wrapped up in a neat storyline, but as a real person still walking the road of healing, still learning, and still refusing to allow his abuse experiences to define the rest of his life. His openness about living with anxiety and frequent memory activators brings powerful validation to experiences so many survivors silently hold inside. Jason does not minimize the pain, but he also refuses to ever give up hope. His voice is gentle, steady, and deeply relatable in all the best ways, and the motivation is to always help others who've experienced similar abuse. This episode reflects the very heart of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories. Amplifying survivor voices, dismantling silence, and reminding every listener that healing is not only possible, it's allowed. Jason shares the truth many are afraid to speak aloud, and in doing so creates space for others to discover their own courage. I am genuinely grateful for his vulnerability and for the trust he placed in this platform to tell his story. Secrets Beneath is not just a memoir, and this episode is not just an interview. It is a conversation that invites others to speak, to heal, and to believe that life can hold more than what trauma ever tried to dictate. An important side note: if you're finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you're a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! Here are some critically important links that I hope you'll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so! — Thank you!! https://www.jasonpatrickberry.com https://a.co/d/bQkH0IA (Order Jason's book on Amazon!) https://womensmediacenter.com/profile/rita-smith https://1in6.org/ https://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/repeat_rape.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://soulwisesolutions.com https://safeinharmsway.org https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com www.arcigrey.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-no-more-lady-veterans-stories-of-military/id1754061590 https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ As mentioned, and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in.