Episode 17

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Published on:

17th Aug 2025

It Wasn’t Just the Trauma. It Was Being Dismissed

Sandra’s story is a chilling yet powerful reminder of how survival mode isn’t just about what happened to you—it’s about how the world responded to your pain. From childhood molestation to being dismissed by the very psychologist meant to help her, Sandra's healing journey was one she had to take alone. But what she discovered along the way? Life-changing.

  • ⚠️ Molestation, sexual assault, and emotional suppression
  • 🧠 How trauma leads to self-doubt and inner sabotage
  • ❌ The damage of unqualified, non–trauma-informed professionals
  • 🔄 Repeating toxic patterns in search of healing
  • 🔥 The “aha” moment that woke her up
  • 🧘‍♀️ How she now helps others actually heal trauma
  • 💬 Why trauma is NOT a life sentence

🎙️ What We Talk About:

  • Being dismissed after trauma—and the harm it causes
  • The loneliness of healing without support
  • The real cost of suppressing your voice for too long
  • How trauma breeds distrust in yourself and others
  • Rewriting subconscious patterns that keep you in survival mode
  • How trauma healing creates generational impact
  • The truth about PTSD, panic attacks, and trauma’s long shadow


🔑 Key Takeaways:

“Trauma doesn’t end when the event ends. It ends when you stop carrying the shame.”
“Trying to be someone you're not is more exhausting than being fully you.”
“I was looking for a savior—but the person I needed was me.”
“Everything that dims your light is trauma. Period.”


🙌 Why This Episode Matters:


Too many survivors aren’t just battling what happened—they’re battling being disbelieved. This episode unpacks what happens when trauma is compounded by dismissal and silence, and how healing is still possible. Sandra’s story reminds us that survival mode is not where we’re meant to stay—and that the decision to rise doesn’t require anyone else’s approval. This one will leave you cracked open and ready to reclaim your voice.


💬 Connect with Sandra:


🔗 Resources & Links:



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About the Podcast

Survival Mode Disrupted with Leticia R Francis
Disrupted Unapologetic Conversations about Survival Mode
Survival Mode Disrupted is not just a podcast. It's a rebellion.

A raw, unfiltered space where we finally stop pretending we're fine and start telling the truth—the truth about the trauma we've carried, the identities they had to wear to survive, and the radical decisions we made to break free.

Because here's the deal: survival mode isn’t just a season. It’s a damn identity. One that so many were forced to adopt just to get through life, to stay safe, to stay needed, to stay sane. But eventually, it starts costing you more than it protects. Your peace. Your purpose. Your power.

This podcast is for the disruptors—the people who were told to stay small, stay silent, stay grateful for crumbs… and said “hell no.”

Hosted by Leticia, The Survival Mode Disruptor herself—a trauma recovery mentor, speaker, and woman who has lived through the fires of abuse, betrayal, and breakdown and still chose to rise—this show dives deep into the unapologetic exits from survival mode that no one talks about.

You’ll hear from women (and a few brave men) who walked away from toxic relationships, soul-sucking careers, generational dysfunction, religious trauma, cultural expectations, and the lies they were taught to believe about themselves. Not because it was easy—but because staying would’ve killed something sacred inside of them.

These are the stories of bold pivots, quiet courage, and messy but miraculous rebirths.

Each episode is a conversation—a disruption—meant to wake something up in you. Whether it’s a guest sharing the moment they chose themselves for the first time, or Leticia dropping a truth bomb that makes you question everything you’ve normalized, this podcast is here to shake the foundation of your survival mode identity and replace it with something truer. Something freer.

We’re not here for surface-level self-care tips or fake empowerment slogans.

We’re here to talk about what it really takes to:

Reclaim your voice after being silenced.

Reinvent yourself after being broken down.

Rewrite your story when everyone else wants you to stay the same.

Release the guilt of choosing YOU.

This is for those who are done performing. Done pleasing. Done pretending.

It’s for the ones ready to exit survival mode—not slowly, not quietly, but disruptively and unapologetically.

You won’t leave this podcast the same.
You’ll cry. You’ll rage. You’ll laugh.
You’ll see yourself in every story.
And more importantly, you’ll remember who the hell you are.

Welcome to Survival Mode Disrupted.
It’s not just a podcast.
It’s a movement.
And your exit begins here.

About your host

Profile picture for Leticia Francis

Leticia Francis

I am not here to inspire you—I am here to activate you.

As a Survivor, Keynote Speaker, and Trauma Recovery Mentor, I know what it’s like to fight battles no one sees. I also know that breaking free is possible. My work is about disrupting survival mode, exposing trauma-driven success cycles, and giving women the blueprint to reclaim their lives.

🔹 200+ podcast features & speaking engagements
🔹 Global Women of Choice Award Winner 2022
🔹 Creator of the Survival Mode Exit Plan
🔹 Host of Survival Mode Disrupted Podcast