Through the Fire: Stewart Thompson’s Journey of Survival and Advocacy

Surviving Childhood Abuse and Suicidal Attempts - An Interview with Stuart Thompson

 

Welcoming Stuart Thompson, host of an abuse survivor based podcast in Toronto. Stuart recounts his experiences of childhood sexual abuse, moving from Ottawa to Richmond, breaking his silence and turning towards meaningful conversations around this trauma. He speaks about his involvement with the Gatehouse Centre in Toronto, a support centre for men, women, and children who've suffered child abuse. Stuart's story of recovery and ongoing efforts to help others through similar personal tragedies becomes a beacon of hope and resilience. However, Stuart emphasizes that there's no 'magic pill' to healing; patience, hard work, and self-discoveries are all vital parts of the healing journey. Now Stuart is committed to breaking silences, extending help, and becoming an active agent of positivity and change in the community.

Stewart has gone on to speak in front of the World health Organization.

 

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Host

00:12 The Mission of the Podcast

00:35 Warning and Disclaimer

00:55 Introduction of the Guest

01:33 Personal Stories and Shared Experiences

05:04 The Impact of Childhood Abuse

07:07 The Struggle with Trust and Relationships

10:43 The Journey to Recovery

14:02 The Importance of Suicide Awareness

22:01 The Positive Side of the Journey

22:09 The Role of the Gatehouse in Recovery

25:56 The Importance of Understanding and Expressing Feelings

29:52 Embracing Emotional Healing

30:09 Journey into Volunteering and Facilitating

30:47 Finding My Voice Through Art Therapy

31:37 The Struggles of Working with Trauma

32:08 The Power of Finding My Voice

33:20 Creating the Survivors Council of Canada

35:02 The Lifelong Impact of Childhood Trauma

36:46 The Power of Belief and Self-Understanding

40:16 The Goal to Expand the Gatehouse Across Canada

44:52 The Importance of Self-Care and Gratitude

49:56 The Unforgiven Warrior: A Personal Reflection

54:57 The Rewarding Aspect of Mentoring

55:41 Closing Remarks and Future Plans

 

From Stewart:

My name is Stewart Thompson I am a survivor, probably more like a Warrior from my child hood sexual abuse, I guess my 1st statement brings you to where I am coming from a little better to what I am here to talk about today.

I started my healing journey 13 years ago, being a 60+ male I was taught never to talk about my feelings, definitely not about my child abuse as you can see that plan did not go well. After volunteering at the Gatehouse for 10 years, I never considered or thought possible that I would become an employee (Program Assistant Trauma Informed) my role is to support men coming into our programs and women too when needed.

My advocacy over the years has given me a podcast (Personal Transformation) starting in 2014 and 2018 podcasts later I am still here talking about a subject that many stay away from not stopping me, that has also has given me the gift of speaking Internationally for World Health Organization/ISPCAN International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect with a documentary and presentation 2020. Proud to announce that starting in Jun 2022 co-founding Survivors Council of Canada in conjunction with the Gatehouse. 

Links:

https://my.blogtalkradio.com/tools/#/my-episodes

Stewart on YouTube    

Survivors Council

The Gatehouse