Assault, Trauma, and the #MeToo Movement
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. And this week, for the first, I share my experience with sexual violence.
It took multiple takes to get through it. Not because I didn’t know what to say — but because I’ve carried fear around how it would be received. Like so many of us, I worried that by speaking up I’d be seen as damaged or attention-seeking. But the truth is: resilience isn’t pretending we’re fine. It’s telling the truth, even when it’s hard.
Because “Me Too” isn’t just a movement. It’s not just a hashtag.
It’s a reality for so many of us.
It’s what it feels like to live in a body that’s been harmed.
To walk through the world with your guard always up.
To freeze. To dissociate. To carry something inside you that no one can see, but that changes everything.
In this episode, I share my personal experiences with sexual assault. Not because I want sympathy (if you’ve been around for some time here you already know I’m strong AF!). But I’m sharing my experience because for a long time, I let my strength get in the way of the softness that needed to be present to heal.
I talk about the trauma I experienced, the silence that followed, and the long road back to myself - including the somatic therapy that helped me reconnect with my body after years of not feeling safe inside it.
I also talk about the question we don’t ask enough:
If one in five women are survivors…
What does that say about the men?
It’s not an easy conversation. But it’s one I believe we need to have.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
My personal story of surviving sexual assault — and why I’m speaking up now
What it’s like to carry trauma in your body for decades
The systems that fail women when we try to speak up
How somatic therapy helped me reclaim safety in my body
How men can help create a world that is actually safer for women — starting with accountability and action
“Each time what was equally as traumatic as the experience itself was the lack of support I received that was desperately needed to get through those situations.”
Some key takeaways from the episode:
Trauma lives in the body, even when the mind forgets. For years, I thought I had “moved on.” But my body knew otherwise. From flinching when a man walked in the room to feeling on edge when alone – those responses were my nervous system still living in survival.
Silence is its own kind of violence. What hurt as much as the assault was the response. (Or lack of one.) The administrators who brushed it off, the peers who made excuses, the systems that failed to protect. That silence can make you question whether what happened even matters. It does.
Men have a role to play - and it starts in your circle. If one in five women are survivors, we have to ask: what about the men? This isn’t about blame—it’s about accountability. It’s about looking at how we show up, what we allow, and how we protect the women around us. Especially our daughters.
Sharing our stories creates safety for others. This episode was hard to record. But I shared it because I know what it feels like to wonder if you’re the only one. You’re not. And the more we speak up, the less alone we all are.
You don’t have to carry it alone. Whether your experience was one time or many… whether you’ve told someone or never spoken a word… whether you’ve processed it or haven’t even started – know this: you are not broken, you are worthy of healing, and you are not alone.
“The pain of sexual violence lives in the cells of all women.”
You can listen to the full episode at the links below:
If you’re a survivor — I see you. I am you.
You are not broken, you are not alone, and you deserve to feel safe in your body again.
Let’s stop pretending this is a women’s issue. It’s a human one, and it’s going to take all of us to create a real change.
Unapologetically Yours,
xx Ashley
Resources Mentioned:
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673. Help is always available.
Connect with Ashley:
Instagram @ashleydlogan
Website https://ashleydlogan.com/
Have a topic or guest you’d love to see featured on the Unapologetically Yours podcast? Send us an email: podcast@unapologeticallyyours.com