Episode 23: Our Lives Changed Overnight A Mother & Daughter’s Journey Through Trauma, Healing & Hope
The B Brave Project
333 views
In this episode of The B Brave Podcast, I’m joined by Bella Fox and her mum, Lauren, for a very special conversation about trauma, healing, parenting and finding your voice.
Together, they share two sides of the same journey.
Bella talks about navigating the impact of sexual assault at a young age, living with PTSD, therapy, friendships, faith, body autonomy and what healing has looked like for her over time.
Lauren shares the experience from a parent’s perspective — creating a safe space for her daughter to talk, learning when to listen rather than ask questions, recognising when Bella was struggling, and understanding that supporting someone you love through trauma can be a journey of its own.
We also talk about something incredibly important: children and young people don’t always have the words to explain when something has happened to them. We discuss why age-appropriate education, open conversations and safe adults matter so much.
But this episode isn’t only about trauma.
It’s about everything that can come afterwards, too.
Reclaiming your body. Finding your voice. Accepting that healing isn’t linear. Discovering what helps you. And realising that needing support again doesn’t mean you’ve gone backwards.
Bella is now using her voice through Becoming Bella Fox to speak about her experiences and help other young people feel less alone.
I’m incredibly grateful to both Bella and Lauren for choosing to share this conversation with me, and for trusting The B Brave Podcast with their story. 🤍
Please listen in the way that feels right for you.
⚠️ CONTENT NOTE: This episode includes conversations about childhood sexual trauma, PTSD, suicidal thoughts and mental health. There are no graphic descriptions of the sexual trauma.
4 Comments
Bella is so powerful yet so humble at the same time. You can see how deeply she is loved by her mum, and despite everything they have faced, she has chosen to do good, to live right, and to keep her heart open.
Sometimes it can feel easier to give up or grow cold, putting walls around our hearts to protect ourselves from ever being hurt like that again. Yet you have both chosen faith, hope, strength and love instead.
What a privilege it was to hear your story. Your joy is genuinely contagious. There is such a beautiful light in your eyes and love in your hearts, even against all odds.
What an incredible testimony. God bless you both, Bella and Lauren. Thank you for sharing your story. ❤️✨
I thought I would find this episode too hard to watch, but actually, it has genuinely helped to heal the inner little girl who didn't speak out when I was being abused.
I suffered prolonged abuse at the hands of an (extended) family member, who my parents trusted. That person had access to me and took advantage of that access for years. I was incredibly young when it started, 12 when the physical abuse stopped (because I got older and didn't need to be 'babysat' in the same way any more - he still tried to have access to me by coming up to my parents house when my parents went shopping and I was home alone... I ran away from him and shut myself in the bathroom... he still tried to get to me but I forced the door shut and he eventually left). He then threatened me to keep me quiet, telling me that I would be to blame for the family falling apart if I said anything. I suffered from his mental abuse throughout my teenage years. I finally told someone at 16, but that person had no power to change anything. My mum finally found out when I was 20, after I had left home. I hid a diary under the carpet when I was 14. My mum found it when she replaced the carpet 6 years later. It was a hard few months after that whilst we navigated the metaphorical bomb that was dropped. My mum believed me and the family did split apart. That was almost 25 years ago.
I suffered for a very long time because I felt that I couldn't tell anyone. I think I was incredibly unlucky that my abuse started so young, which meant that I was much more confused about what was okay and what absolutely wasn't okay. For those people, like me, who suffered prolonged abuse from a very young age, I hope they also know that it isn't their fault if they didn't say anything for a long time. That's what therapy helped me to understand about my own experience. My therapist would ask me what I expected of a random three year old, eight year old, twelve year old if they were treated in the ways that I was. Every time I would cry and say that I would tell them that it wasn't their fault. For some reason, I used to expect far more from myself. I know now that I'm not to blame because I stayed quiet.
I'm SO glad that this girl spoke out and that her mum listened. It healed something in me to see another young girl taking a different path and makes me feel hope for girls in the future.
My mum listened too. I think I'm still here because of that.
Episode 23: Our Lives Changed Overnight A Mother & Daughter’s Journey Through Trauma, Healing & Hope
The B Brave Project
333 views
In this episode of The B Brave Podcast, I’m joined by Bella Fox and her mum, Lauren, for a very special conversation about trauma, healing, parenting and finding your voice.
Together, they share two sides of the same journey.
Bella talks about navigating the impact of sexual assault at a young age, living with PTSD, therapy, friendships, faith, body autonomy and what healing has looked like for her over time.
Lauren shares the experience from a parent’s perspective — creating a safe space for her daughter to talk, learning when to listen rather than ask questions, recognising when Bella was struggling, and understanding that supporting someone you love through trauma can be a journey of its own.
We also talk about something incredibly important: children and young people don’t always have the words to explain when something has happened to them. We discuss why age-appropriate education, open conversations and safe adults matter so much.
But this episode isn’t only about trauma.
It’s about everything that can come afterwards, too.
Reclaiming your body. Finding your voice. Accepting that healing isn’t linear. Discovering what helps you. And realising that needing support again doesn’t mean you’ve gone backwards.
Bella is now using her voice through Becoming Bella Fox to speak about her experiences and help other young people feel less alone.
I’m incredibly grateful to both Bella and Lauren for choosing to share this conversation with me, and for trusting The B Brave Podcast with their story. 🤍
Please listen in the way that feels right for you.
⚠️ CONTENT NOTE: This episode includes conversations about childhood sexual trauma, PTSD, suicidal thoughts and mental health. There are no graphic descriptions of the sexual trauma.