176. Pamela France: Faith, Trauma, and the Truth That Follows

In this episode of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I sit down with Pamela France, author of the memoir Life Soup. Pamela shares her lived experience of childhood sexual abuse and the lifelong impact of trauma, alongside a deeply personal account of healing grounded in her Christian faith. Life Soup is not written to shock or sensationalize—it's written as testimony, reflection, and invitation for survivors who may feel isolated or unseen. Pamela's perspective is shaped not only by her own story, but by decades of service to others. She has worked in Child Protective Services, served students and families in higher education, and spent the latter part of her career as a school counselor. That combination—survivor, advocate, and professional—gives her voice a rare depth and clarity. This conversation explores what it means to carry trauma quietly, to live a functional life while still carrying unhealed wounds, and to slowly reclaim wholeness over time. This is a faith-forward episode, and it's also a survivor-centered one. Pamela's story reminds us that healing does not follow a straight line, and that hope can coexist with grief, anger, and unanswered questions. Listener discretion is advised. And as always, if this episode brings anything up for you, please take care of yourself and reach out to someone safe. You are not alone—and stories like Pamela's exist because silence should never have the final word. 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://a.co/d/0dTZpc89 (Pamela's book on Amazon https://hassl.uk/ https://saprea.org/ https://whattheydontsay.com 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://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. (Check out https://evawintl.org/ & https://startbybelieving.org for more information on "Start By Believing"!) Thank you for tuning in. --Dave