In this episode of The Redeeming Stories Podcast, I sit down with Izzi Simonsen, Programs Manager at the Women’s Resource Center in Dillon, Montana, for a conversation about survivor centered advocacy, empowerment, and the unique challenges of supporting survivors in rural communities.

Izzi’s connection to this work began long before it became her profession. She grew up seeing the impact of the Women’s Resource Center through her mother’s work there, later became a volunteer, and eventually found her own calling in education, prevention, and advocacy. Her commitment is also informed by her own lived experience as a survivor.

We talk about why there is no single right way to respond to abuse or trauma, what it really means to trust survivors to make decisions about their own lives, and the barriers that can make seeking help especiall ...