Lauren French on The Radical Power of Pleasure & Community Healing

From Trauma & Transformation with Dr Anastasia Powell · 59:31

Show by Anastasia Powell

Welcome to Trauma and Transformation, hosted by Professor Anastasia Powell.In this conversation, Anastasia sits down with Lauren French, a proud Garajari woman, sexologist, and 2023 Churchill Fellow who grew up on Larakea lands. Lauren brings vital First Nations wisdom to the forefront, challenging the limitations of Western, medicalised models of trauma that individualise the problem and rely heavily on carceral punishment.Together, they explore what it actually means to heal—not by returning to an unscarred past, but through community recognition and transformation. Lauren also unpacks her groundbreaking approach to sexual violence prevention: why moving away from deficit-based, fear-driven consent education and instead teaching young people about desire and pleasure is the most radical prevention tool we have. Key Highlights & TakeawaysRedefining Healing: Why therapists are catalysts, not "fixers," and why true healing requires a community to bear witness to a survivor's transformation.The Limits of Western Systems: How highly individualised, siloed approaches fail to address sexual violence as a relational harm.Pleasure as Radical Prevention: Why teaching young people to aim for mutual pleasure and desire—rather than just trying to stay an inch above the "bar" of violence—is the key to turning the tide on sexual harm.The Eagle Metaphor: Lauren’s Churchill Fellowship findings on why community must act as the "body" wrapping around both wings—the person harmed and the person who caused harm—to create true accountability without relying solely on isolation and shame.The Role of Ceremony: How reclaiming the practice of ceremony allows communities to officially recognise shifts in behaviour, whether celebrating a survivor's recovery or acknowledging when someone has stepped away from the community by causing harm.Powerful quotes from the Episode:"What a world it would be if we could really, really allow ourselves to have permission to prioritise pleasure across the board." – Lauren FrenchResource Links & AdvocacyLearn more about Lauren French’s 2023 Churchill Fellowship research on Indigenous elder-guided practices for healing and community repair: Link to Churchill Fellowship ReportRead Along in the Book: Dive deeper into healing through connection with community, and the important role of prevention, by reading Chapter 8: Healing Relationally and Chapter 10: Forging New Paths of Professor Anastasia Powell’s book, The Aftermath of Trauma: Survivor Informed Practice for Transformation and Healing After Family and Sexual Violence (Palgrave Macmillan): Link to Anastasia's BookConnect with our Guest:Follow Lauren French on Instagram: @lauren.french.sexologistLearn more about Lauren’s clinical practice and advocacy: https://lauren-french.com/ Credits:Hosted by Professor Anastasia Powell.Produced by Dash Made Studios.Trauma and Transformation is created by Professor Anastasia Powell and produced by Dash Made Studios to educate and foster discourse on family violence, sexual violence, and trauma recovery. Content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or legal advice.If you are in immediate danger, call 000.Support Services (24/7 unless noted):• 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732): Domestic, family & sexual violence support• Lifeline (13 11 14): Crisis support• MensLine (1300 78 99 78): Men’s support & family violence• 13YARN (13 92 76): First Nations crisis support• QLife (1800 184 527): LGBTIQ+ peer support (3pm–midnight) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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