Sandy Phillips Kirkham is a survivor of clergy abuse and the author of, "Let Me Prey Upon You". Sandy was very active in her church growing up, her faith was the center of her life. When she was 16 her youth pastor groomed and manipulated her into a sexual relationship. After years of abuse she managed to exit the relationship and reclaim her life. Sandy kept her experience a secret for 27 years before she had to face it and begin her healing journey. Today Sandy is a strong advocate for survivors of clergy abuse as a board member of the Council Against Child Abuse and through her work with The Hope of Survivors. Today Sandy will be sharing her story, and we'll be discussing her incredibly powerful book. Sandy Kirkham and her husband Bill enjoy life with their two grown children, two beautiful granddaughters, and two fairly well-behaved dogs. Sandy continues to use her voice to help victims of clergy abuse. She currently serves on the board of Council Against Child Abuse. Sandy has spoken before the Ohio Senate, a Maryland court, and appeared on a local television show in Boston. Her story, “Stolen Innocence,” was told in a documentary produced by The Hope of Survivors. Sandy works with survivors conducting victim support conferences. She has participated in The Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) panels moderated by SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), sharing her perspective from the non-Catholic point of view. Sandy has been a presenter/speaker at major events on clergy abuse including the Hope & Healing Conference. Sandy has earned a certificate of completion from the Faith Trust Institute entitled, “A Sacred Trust: Boundary Issues for Clergy and Spiritual Teachers.” Sandy's Website: https://sandyphillipskirkham.com/ Sandy's Book: https://sandyphillipskirkham.com/shop/ https://bookshop.org/p/books/let-me-prey-upon-you-breaking-free-from-a-minister-s-sexual-abuse-sandy-phillips-kirkham/13830913?ean=9781734195200 The Hope of Survivors: http://www.thehopeofsurvivors.org/ Council on Child Abuse: https://www.cocachild.org/ GRACE: https://www.netgrace.org/ SNAP: https://www.snapnetwork.org/ Finding OK: https://www.finding-ok.com/ Hecate's Links: https://linktr.ee/FindingOK Support the podcast and become a Patreon member! https://www.patreon.com/HecateFindingOK Finding OK is funded entirely by the generosity of listeners like you! https://www.finding-ok.com/support/ Letters for the Fire: https://www.finding-ok.com/blog/letters-for-the-fire-season-5/ Thank you for listening. BLM. Take care of yourself <3 Support the show
