Meet Stephanie Strickland

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Strickland a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

My purpose found me. I am a survivor of domestic violence. I was in an abusive marriage for 26 years. For 26 years I endured emotional, verbal, financial, sexual and physical abuse. I constantly walked on eggshells, always wondering when the next abusive episode would occur. I felt worthless and unloved. I was too afraid to leave. Fear of being on my own and the fear of being harmed by my ex-husband for leaving so I stayed. There was a point in my life where I contemplated taking my life. I felt it was my only way out. It was during this time I started reading the Bible and attending church. The day I surrendered my life to Christ, that was the day things started to change. Through prayer and being surrounded by other believers, I learned how to love myself and to see myself the way God sees me. I was in my forties when I left my marriage, and I promised God that I would share my story with the world. In 2022 I wrote my award-winning book Finding Peace With. It is my story of truth and triumph. I became an advocate for victims and survivors of domestic violence. Since the release of my book, I have been featured in magazines, been a guest on podcasts and I have spoken at various women events.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am an advocate for women of domestic violence. I speak at various women events sharing my story, and coaching women on how to overcome domestic violence. I am currently working on a workbook that will be a pathway for victims and survivors on their journey to self-healing. Once this workbook is released my goal is to facilitate classes in person and online using this workbook. My prayer is to eventually go global. I want victims and survivors all over the world to know they are not alone, there is life after abuse. By sharing our stories, we are bringing a voice to domestic violence. Together we can change how the world sees domestic violence.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I feel my three qualities are

1. I have faith – without faith nothing is possible.
2. Perserverance – Since I have started this journey, I have lost a lot of relationships. I have been told I should stop. But one of my favorite quotes my Audre Lorde says, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” I will not be okay as long as I know I could have helped change someone life, and I did nothing.
3. My third quality is boldness – which is something I learned after I left my marriage. If I don’t advocate or value myself no one else will. So, I will continue to speak up for myself as a survivor.

My advice to anyone is trust and believe in God and in yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t accomplish the dream you have inside of you. Also, it is important to place people around you, who will be your support and nurture you. Be open to constructive criticism. Don’t lose focus and don’t give up.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The stigma that surrounds domestic violence. So many women of abuse are afraid to speak up, because of the shame placed on them by others. Their stories are dismissed and denied when they reach out for help. There are also the myths that people believe about domestic violence. For example, domestic violence only happens in low-income communities. This is not true domestic violence happens in all kinds of families, socioeconomic status, in every part of the country. To overcome these obstacles, I am constantly sharing the facts, through posts, on my social media accounts and blogs. I also share facts each time I speak at conferences. I want victims and survivors of domestic violence to know they are not responsible for the abuse. I want them to know that they don’t have to feel guilty or be ashamed. I want them to know that their story matters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stephaniedstrickland.com/
• Instagram: @iamsdstrickland
• Facebook: @StephanieDStrick

Image Credits

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