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I met Angela Shelton in 2004 at the National Trauma Consortium "Dare to Act" conference in Baltimore. This was an amazing 5 days. There were many clinicians and survivors of trauma and those who are now leaders of the "Break The Silence" movement.

Angela Shelton filmed a documentary Searching for Angela Shelton which she screened at the conference. In the film she goes in search for others who bear her name finding at least half to have had similar histories as her own childhood abuse. As the film unfolds it becomes a journey home literally to herself and to the home she grew up in in Georgia where she confronts her father as they sit on the front porch. Of course he denies everything she tells him with that "how could you say that about me" look on his face. My father did the same thing when I confronted him and even told him I forgave him. At least her brother, who was also abused and took part in her abuse, seeks reconciliation and healing connection with his sister.

Go to her website...you will not be disappointed. Find a way to view her film. Be forewarned. It's heavy. Thank God she's out there working hard to help so many and in Angela's words... "Break The Silence".

Dusty Miller lives near me in western MA. She's a professor at Smith College. I know her by taking 6 workshops on her book Addictions and Trauma Recovery: Healing the Body, Mind & Spirit, one that she herself taught. I could co-facilitate what she calls the "ATRIUM" group model that is used to teach participants the principals of her book, but I choose to be a participant hearing over and over again this most important information, learning something new each time I let it sink into me...melting away years of poop I could never wade through. Sorry about that! Each time I digest it in a different way (not the poop) hopefully growing, with more understanding of just what happened to me that I was never able to name or figure out.

Here is what Dusty says about The ATRIUM Model: "The Addiction and Trauma Recovery Integration Model (ATRIUM) has been developed for survivors and their allies, as well as for group leaders. It is designed for use by groups as well as individual consumers and their counselors/therapists and peer support network."

ATRIUM is intended for the following:

• People with substance abuse and other addictive behaviors
• People who addictively engage in harmful relationships
• People who self-injure
• People with serious psychiatric diagnoses
• People who are survivors of sexual and physical abuse
• People who enact violence and abuse against others

Trauma impacts the survivor at three levels: the body, the mind, and the spirit. The ATRIUM model is a process designed to assess and intervene at all three of those levels. This model is unique in its practical approach to healing the body and the spirit as well as the mind. Check out the book and Dusty on her website.