March 19, 2025
Welcome back!
In my last email, I shared the first part of Girl, Groomed‘s prologue. Now, as promised, here’s Part 2—where I reveal the deeper layers of my story and what I couldn’t see back then.
By Carol Odell, LICSW
At that gangly-girl time in my life, my version of the story minimized and omitted the abuse and violence that were the main staple of my experience at the stables.
It redacted the trauma. But more importantly, I unknowingly etched a distorted reality within myself.
When I was still one of his riders, I couldn’t have known that it is common to admire and identify with one’s abuser—that misguided high regard often accompanies the abuse of power. But that wasn’t the extent of the grooming. My well-intended family, my culture, and my own defenses all played a part in shaping the narratives I internalized. This was self-protective—until it wasn’t.
“You see, it isn’t what happens to us that is the biggest problem. The difficulty lies in how we interpret and absorb what happens to us.”
These are the elements that create the narratives we digest—and regurgitate. But when we begin to understand how these narratives are formed, we gain the power to rewrite and ‘re-right’ our stories. And in that work—we find freedom.
📩 Stay tuned!
Thank you for being part of this journey! Stay tuned for more insights and updates.
is a therapist and author of Girl, Groomed, sharing her personal story of trauma and healing. Her work blends professional expertise and personal insight to guide readers on their own journeys to resilience.
cfodellmsw@gmail.com
+1 (206) 291-2211
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