
S3E5: An honest conversation on healing from sexual trauma
In this episode: Our all-former-foster-youth crew takes an honest, compassionate look at healing from sexual trauma. We talk about what it means to reclaim your story—
Kat, Elyzabeth, Alexis, and Esme talk about the unique challenges (former) foster youth face when accessing the mental healthcare services they need. Esme, Community Policy Associate, Mental Health Team at National Center for Youth Law, points to key resources that you might find useful, drawn from “A Young Person’s Guide to Accessing Affordable Mental Health Care.” Guests share their stories, including the little and big ways that they take care of themselves. As always, we keep it real.
Content Advisory: The stories we are sharing sometimes touch on different kinds of trauma, please take care of yourself while you listen.
Kat (she/her) is a RHEP Youth Advisory Board Member
Elyzabeth (she/her) is a RHEP Youth Advisory Board member.
Alexis (she/her) is a RHEP Youth Advisory Board member.
Esmeralda Cortez Rosales (she/her) is a Community Policy Associate for the Mental Health Team at National Center for Youth Law.
Self-Taught is produced in California. If laws, policies and programs are discussed in an episode, these may be specific to California. Listeners from other locations should check out their own state’s or country’s laws and programs – and if you need help finding your state’s laws, reach out to us at fosterreprohealth@youthlaw.org.
Foster Youth Bill of Rights for the State of California here

In this episode: Our all-former-foster-youth crew takes an honest, compassionate look at healing from sexual trauma. We talk about what it means to reclaim your story—

Our all-former-foster-youth squad chats about self-discovery, challenging gender norms, and self-care. Our speakers also discuss how to create a supportive community, and how to love yourself,

In this episode, we discuss the stigma that comes with choosing abortion care, especially for the foster youth community. Our all-former-foster-youth crew clears up important medical

In this episode, we share how we have sometimes had to stick up for ourselves to get the sexual and reproductive health care we need (and

We’re kicking off Season 3 with a convo our all-former-foster-youth podcasters are so eager to explore— How can we prioritize our mental health while navigating romantic

In this episode, Kat, Elyzabeth, Alexis, and Esme talk about the unique challenges (former) foster youth face when accessing the mental healthcare services they need.

In this unflinchingly honest episode, Tamar, Phillisha, and Cody discuss abortion care in this open.

In this episode, Kat, Cody, Phillisha and Sarah talk about getting the care you need leading up to birth, which is known as prenatal care.

In this episode, we discuss methods for safe sex, relatable accounts of what it’s like to navigate the healthcare system with an STI, shaking off stigma,

In this episode, Kat and Brandy talk about their personal experiences with birth control and provide an overview of the variety of birth control methods available.

In this Episode, Tamar and Alexis sit down with Rebecca Gudeman to highlight many of these rights for youth in California and to talk about what

In this Episode, Phillisha and Tamar talk about how they each actively sought to reparent themselves – filling in gaps from their own development – in

In this episode, Kat and Alexis talk about how they have found a sense of belonging throughout various parts of their lives.

In this episode, Tamar and Kat dig into consent as an important component of any healthy relationship – not just the sexual ones.

In this episode, Daniel discusses what motivates him to be an advocate for the gay community now, and bringing “me and all of my selves.”

In this episode, we discuss intersectional identity, including being non-binary and neuro-divergent.

In this episode, we discuss “the talk,” puberty, birth control, and finding the right doctor while growing up in foster care.
Self-Taught is supported through a grant to the National Center for Youth Law from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. We are very grateful for their support. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Hilton Foundation.
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