Intentions

Reverend Dr. Barbara Edemea returns to The Nightingale with a series of positive intentions celebrating belief in one another, oneself, and our community of survivors. These intentions are at once universal and specific–with a “he” and a...

Reclamation

Rev. Dr. Barbara Edema reframes the concept of gaining back what was “lost” in trauma in a way that allows for new gentleness and self-compassion. The piece touches on the valid difficulties of reclamation as a survivor, and also the true inherent...

Stressure

 A contribution to our July prompt, Rev. Dr. Barbara’s word “stressure” comes from others telling a survivor how to heal, thinking they know best. Sometimes recognizing and fighting “stressure” means defending oneself against people who...

When The Fairy Tale Ends

Dr. Reverend Barbara Edema revisits The Nightingale with a piece that adds to our prompt to retell fairy tales and myths. She compassionately acknowledges the difficult reality of survivor’s experiences in comparison to the uncomplicated fairy tales we’re...

My Voice

Dr. Reverend Barbara Edema has been a frequent contributor to Awakenings publications, and we’re pleased to share more of her encouraging, affirming message. In this piece, Barbara speaks to the ways in which survivors can often find it difficult to share their...