Breaking Her Silence: A Cover-Up, the Truth, and Taking Power Back

Thoughts or comments? Send us a text!What happens when a therapist trained to maintain professional distance decides to share her most vulnerable truths? Kristin Louise Duncombe's story will leave you speechless.Growing up across continents as a foreign service "brat," Kristin developed a unique perspective as a third culture kid—someone shaped by their parents' culture, their host countries, and the international community surrounding them. But hidden beneath this globe-trotting childhood lay a devastating secret: for over two years, Kristin was sexually abused by a high-ranking US diplomat—her best friend's father.When multiple children finally came forward with allegations, the State Department's response was chilling. Despite confirming the abuse, they protected the predator, citing diplomatic immunity and effectively silencing victims and their families. Twenty years later, Kristin would discover this same man had been arrested for abusing another child, confirming her worst fears that the government's protection had enabled decades of continued abuse.What makes this conversation truly remarkable is Kristin's evolving relationship with anger. Despite writing three memoirs about her experiences, she reveals that only after publishing her most recent book "Object" did she fully connect with her rage about what happened. This delayed anger response illuminates how trauma survivors, particularly women, are often socialized to suppress anger and engage in "fawning" behaviors—accommodating others at the expense of their own boundaries and truth.Through both personal anecdotes and professional insights, Kristin offers a perspective on recognizing fawning responses and reclaiming the right to righteous anger. Her journey from silence to speaking out demonstrates how breaking free from people-pleasing patterns creates space for authentic healing and genuine connection.Whether you've experienced trauma yourself or simply want to understand how institutional power structures enable abuse, this episode will transform how you think about speaking truth to power. Kristin's courage reminds us that our stories, especially the difficult ones, deserve to be told.You can find Kristin, her services and her books HERE.Support the showBUY ME A COFFEE or SUPPORT ALFIE'S TREAT STASHLearn more about my book, Nature Knows: Grow and Thrive through the Wisdom of Plants HERE.Comments about this episode? Suggestions for a future episode? Email me directly at [email protected]. Want to be a guest on No Shrinking Violets Podcast for Women? Send Mary Rothwell a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/noshrinkingvioletsFollow me on Facebook and Instagram, and check out my website!