As a survivor of childhood abuse, she's seen the dark side and has emerged from the darkness determined to help others in a similar position.
Yvonne knows all about challenges. Her childhood in the Deep South was one long challenge, with a dysfunctional family background encompassing sexual, substance, and domestic abuse across the generations. Somehow, she made it through all that and now hopes to use her experiences to show that surviving and thriving are possible. She aims to provide hope and inspiration to anyone suffering trauma or the after-effects by proving that healing happens with time.
You can check out the book on Amazon:
Overcoming the past by becoming passionate in the present
Yvonne first felt she began to overcome her feelings of being invisible and worthless in July 2015. She realized she was not alone, and other abuse survivors had experienced similar thoughts to hers. She decided to give her life to spreading awareness about child sexual abuse and providing educational resources and information on abuse prevention. Yvonne hopes to help future generations break the cycle of abuse through this work, which she is naturally passionate about. She would like nothing better than for no child ever to have to live through what she did.
To that end, Yvonne qualified as a cognitive behavior life coach and an advocate for survivors of all types of abuse. Her lived experience of familial intergenerational abuse is critical to her ability to understand and assist fellow survivors. She is also a mindfulness coach, teaching her clients to live for now and not let their past determine their future. With her assistance, she hopes they can achieve life goals they never thought possible deep in the darkest days of their abuse.
A memoir and a podcast
In her latest quest to spread positivity, Yvonne has written a memoir, The Invisible Girl. Published in 2021, it is available on Amazon and details her childhood and young adult experiences. She tells people that it is her truth. “It's my story and voice–something I've wanted to share for a long time.”
In her memoir, Yvonne highlights the harm done by child sexual abuse and shows possible steps for someone like her to leave the memories behind and grow into a more positive, future-facing mindset. Just because something happened decades ago doesn't mean it won't affect someone later. As Yvonne has found, it is vital to learn how to move beyond it to minimize the effects. Psychotherapy helps; learning to talk about experiences can be challenging but has also been beneficial. Burying past trauma has long-lasting consequences which can affect others around them as much as the survivor. Yvonne hopes her memoir can help others find the key to helping themselves, making them feel less alone and more valued. 10% of the annual sales from her book go to Lauren's Kids, a charity supporting children who have been abuse victims.
In April 2022, Yvonne also started a companion podcast called The Survivor Strong, aimed at survivors of childhood trauma. After all, why stop writing a memoir when you can also reach people through a podcast? This is all part of her efforts to create a personal brand as an abuse survivor. She wants to be seen as a positive role model for them, to guide them on their path to healing and peace. Some have described her as a force of nature. She's a fighter and wants to share her journey with anyone who would benefit from knowing about it.
Other projects to support childhood abuse survivors
Not content with stopping at a memoir and podcast, Yvonne has other projects planned, all focussed on helping childhood trauma survivors come to terms with their past and find peace so they can live a better, happier life.
As well as donating to Lauren's Kids, Yvonne is involved with ChildHelp in California. She was previously a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) for the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) service and the GAL Association for Children in Florida, where she currently lives.
She has been married for eight years and has two adult daughters. She finds great comfort in creativity, listing painting abstract art, singing, and dancing among her hobbies. She also enjoys spending time with her family, giving them the support she never had. She is still working to resolve the issues from her traumatic past, but now she is doing it as much for her family and herself.
Yvonne Sandomir is eager to show survivors of child abuse that healing is possible. She feels the best way to do that is to advocate for them, a beacon of hope and help. Her website is The Invisible Girl, and her memoir can be purchased from Amazon.
