Rooted and Rising
3-part Survivor Workshop Series
April 4
Rooted in Resilience: Grounding Techniques for Everyday Strength
April 11
Reclaiming Intimacy: Navigating Sexuality After Trauma
April 25
Breaking the Cycle: Understanding Substance Use and Reconnecting with Your Body
As part of the Color It Blue campaign for April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month, this 3-part Friday workshop series is designed to support survivors of sexual violence on their journey. Each session offers practical tools, compassionate guidance, and a safe space to foster resilience and personal growth. Open to everyone, the series focuses on grounding techniques, addressing substance use, and reclaiming intimacy, all while empowering participants to reconnect with their bodies and build a foundation for lasting strength and recovery.
Rooted in Resilience: Grounding Techniques for Everyday Strength
April 4 at 12 p.m. ET
This session introduces practical grounding techniques to help survivors manage stress and anxiety. Participants will explore grounding skills rooted in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to anchor themselves in the present moment. The workshop will also address how panic attacks affect both the brain and body, providing strategies to recognize and manage these responses. Additionally, skill-based approaches will be covered, including coping techniques for hypervigilance, improving sleep, and managing flashbacks.
Presented by Brittany Fuller, LCMHC who is a licensed clinical mental health counselor with specialized training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Brittany has extensive experience working with survivors of sexual trauma, providing compassionate, evidence-based care to support healing and resilience. She previously worked with adults in Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) levels of care and now provides therapy in an outpatient setting. With a client-centered, trauma-informed approach, Brittany is dedicated to fostering a safe and supportive environment for individuals navigating the complex impacts of trauma.
Reclaiming Intimacy: Navigating Sexuality After Trauma
April 11 at 12 p.m. ET
This workshop offers a safe, supportive space for survivors to explore their relationship with sex and intimacy post-trauma. Participants will learn about the impact of sexual trauma on the body and mind, including how it affects desire, boundaries, and trust. Attendees will learn to understand their personal needs, and explore what healthy, consensual intimacy can look like on their own terms. The focus is on empowerment, self-awareness, and fostering growth in reclaiming one’s sexual agency.
Presented by Ceara Corry, LCSW who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker originally from eastern North Carolina with nearly a decade of experience in sexual and reproductive health. Ceara founded and leads The Naked Truth, PLLC in pursuit of sex-positive, pleasure-centered, shame/stigma-free, sexual wellness for all. Ceara is a sex and relationships therapist and sex educator currently based in Greensboro, NC.
Breaking the Cycle: Understanding Substance Use and Reconnecting with Your Body
April 25 at 12 p.m. ET
This session explores the complex relationship between sexual trauma and substance use, offering a compassionate space to understand how substances impact the body and mind. Participants will learn about the physiological effects of addiction, how trauma can influence coping mechanisms, and ways to reconnect with their bodies through grounding techniques. The workshop emphasizes self-compassion and provides tools for nurturing healthier coping strategies, supporting both recovery and personal growth.
Presented by Dr. Natalie Ricciutti Ph.D., LPCC-OH, LCASA, NC who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling at UNC Charlotte. She received her Ph.D. from Kent State University and her Master’s degree from Youngstown State University. Dr. Ricciutti’s research and teaching expertise are in addictions counseling and addictions education. She is an advocate for providing counseling students with the necessary information and education about substance use disorders, process/behavioral disorders, and the treatment of both. Dr. Ricciutti also researches the impact of stigma in treatment of addictions and readiness to decrease substance use across communities. She enjoys teaching addictions courses and many other Master’s courses.
