Ep 163: When Power Doesn’t Listen: The Cost of Excluding Survivors from the Conversation

In this episode, I go on a bit of a rant—and for good reason.When people in positions of power make sweeping decisions without input from the people most affected, the results are often not just ineffective… they’re harmful.I share a recent example from my own therapy practice, where state-level Medicaid changes made by HCPF (Colorado’s Department of Health Care Policy & Financing) have had huge ripple effects—harming my team’s ability to provide care and hurting the very clients those changes were supposed to help.And unfortunately, this isn’t a one-off issue. It’s a pattern we see all the time in the family court system.Survivors of domestic violence are rarely invited to the table when reforms are discussed or policies are implemented. Professionals make assumptions, apply blanket solutions, and often ignore the lived experiences of the people navigating these systems every single day.In this episode, I explore:Why top-down decisions without feedback loops cause damageHow survivors are continuously silenced and sidelined in court processesThe emotional toll of fighting systems that claim to help—but don’t listenWhy true change must include the voices of those impactedWhether you’ve felt powerless in court, frustrated by the mental health system, or just plain angry at the disconnect between what’s needed and what’s delivered—this one’s for you.Tune in and share your own story. We need more survivor voices in these conversations.Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.If you want to chat more about this topic, I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpcIf you want to support the show, you may do so here at Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.htmlIf you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7Where to find more from Rising Beyond:Rising Beyond FacebookRising Beyond LinkedInRising Beyond Pinterest