Feb. 15, 2026
Rising from the Ashes: Amy McKiernan's Journey of Healing and Empowerment
Send a text In this powerful episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, we are joined by Amy McKiernan, an authority on overcoming sexual assault and the author of *More Than a Survivor: Eight Keys to Overcoming Sexual Assault and Finding a Path to Living a Fulfilled Life*. Amy shares her deeply personal journey, beginning with her traumatic experiences from a young age and the struggles that followed. She opens up about the darkness she faced and the path to healing that led her to write he...
In this powerful episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, we are joined by Amy McKiernan, an authority on overcoming sexual assault and the author of *More Than a Survivor: Eight Keys to Overcoming Sexual Assault and Finding a Path to Living a Fulfilled Life*. Amy shares her deeply personal journey, beginning with her traumatic experiences from a young age and the struggles that followed. She opens up about the darkness she faced and the path to healing that led her to write her book, which serves as a beacon of hope for survivors. Amy discusses the eight keys to healing that she outlines in her book, emphasizing the importance of choice and the power of support systems. This episode is not only a testament to resilience but also provides actionable insights for anyone navigating the aftermath of trauma. Tune in to hear Amy's inspiring message and learn how to reclaim your life and find fulfillment once again. Discover more about Amy’s work at amymckiernan.com, and don’t miss the chance to connect with her on social media for ongoing support and inspiration.
Want to be a guest on Living the Dream with Curveball? Send Curtis Jackson a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1628631536976x919760049303001600
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> Curtis Jackson>Welcome to the Living the Dream podcast with Curveball. if you believe you can achieve. Welcome to the Living the Dream with Curveball podcast, a show where I interview guests that teach, motivate, and inspire. Today we're going to be talking about surviving sexual assault, as I am joined by authority Amy McKiernan. Amy is the author of, the book More Than a eight Keys to Overcoming Sexual Assault. And she's going to be talking about her personal experience and those eight keys and talking about what she's up to and gonna be up to. So, Amy, thank you for joining me.
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> Amy McKiernan>Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.
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> Curtis Jackson>Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?
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> Amy McKiernan>Yeah. So, my name is Amy McKiernan, and I am the, author of, as you said, More Than a Survivor, Eight Keys to Overcoming Sexual Assault and Finding a Path to Living a Fulfilled Life. in addition to that, I am a presenter for Campus Outreach Services and Take Back the Night. and in addition, I also am the director of employee relations for five, early learning schools.
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> Curtis Jackson>Yeah, and congratulations on that. So talk, to the listeners about your story.
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> Amy McKiernan>Yeah, so, you know, I have, experience with, you know, a variety, A variety of experiences, I should say. starting from middle school age to high school age. you know, I experienced my first rape at 15. And, you know, my journey was. Was really hard. you know, I started going down a path of drugs and alcohol and, and all the things to numb all the. The pain from those experiences. and I, you know, it took a long time to get back on the right path for me. you know, When I was 15, I was raped by a friend. There was drinking involved. and then, like I said, you know, the drinking and drugs and just, you know, getting myself into situations where I wasn't being treated very well in relationships. And then it led to more experiences with more sexual abuse, and it was just a dark, heavy road, you know, and, and it took a really long time for me to accept the help that I was being given, but also to choose myself and my own healing, and to choose to not identify as the victim and the pain and the hurt, you know, and, and that's what my book is all about is, it's called More Than a Survivor because I really do believe that there is more than just survival. You know, when you think about surviving something, surviving, it's powerful.
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> Amy McKiernan>It's a, very important thing. But it asks a lot of questions, right? Like what condition are you in?
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> Amy McKiernan>Are you actually thriving? Are you, are your wounds actually healed or healing? Or are they just open and you're just getting through day to day? You know, and I lived like that for a long time. and so I wrote this book because I really wanted to help other people and, you know, give my experiences a voice. And I think that others out there need a voice. You know, I think that people need to feel less alone with these types of experiences. and, you know, not only sharing my journey and my story, but also this guidance, these keys to deeply healing and truly overcoming is what makes, I think this book unique and so special.
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> Curtis Jackson>Well, talk about what was your journey like for writing this book and, who do you feel should read your book?
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> Amy McKiernan>Yeah, so, I mean, it was a long journey, you know, writing a book like this. It didn't take, it took time. you know, I, I, I was thinking about writing it for, for years and years. and you know, way back in 2014, I was on, my dad had a radio program at the time, and I went on an episode with him.
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> Amy McKiernan>and we called it, what do you do when life gets broken? And I was talking about some of my, one of my experiences and kind of how we navigated that experience as a family. And I remember after that there was someone called in, this woman called in from the Philippines, and she was just so touched by my courage. You know, she called me, so she called me courageous and she shared some of her experiences. And I remember that moment all those years ago was in my mind. I was like, you know what? I, ah, do want to, I, I do want to do this.
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> Amy McKiernan>I do want to, I think I want to write a book. I want to like, get my voice out there and help people. but still, it took me another like five years to start it, you know, and, and that was like a learning experience for me in itself, you know, a healing experience for me in itself.
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> Amy McKiernan>Because writing it opened up more understanding of myself and deeper healing. You know, like, I thought I didn't realize some of the impacts that I was still holding onto until I wrote the book.
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> Amy McKiernan>And, and really, I mean, it's a hard read. I'll be very upfront about it. It's a hard read. but being able to put it all on the pages like this was so cathartic for me. And it just, it helped me connect even deeper to some of the experiences that I was suppressing or holding, you know, burying deep inside me. and then as I was writing it, you know, I started probably in like, 2019 is when I really started writing it. And it still took me until 2025 to finish it. but as I was writing it, the keys became clear. You know, I didn't have. I didn't have the idea, for these eight keys. When I started writing it, all I knew is I was going to write a book. And as I was writing it, I was able to name the keys. I always had them inside me. But I. As I was organizing the book and writing about my journey and then the healing process and what that looked like, that's when I was able to really name the keys. so it, you know, it was a really long process. but it was an amazing one. It was a deep healing journey for me personally, writing this book and getting these keys out. And, you know, I also. In it, I share the, perspectives of my dad and my sister, who are two people from my own support system. I talk about the importance of a support system in the book and I share their perspectives throughout.
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> Amy McKiernan>because I think it's so important to show the journeys, of. Of the allies and support people too. Right? They were there walking beside me.
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> Amy McKiernan>They didn't have all the answers. They didn't know this was trauma for them too. You know, trauma that I couldn't even see because I was so deep within my own. and so it makes it a really, you know, a book that not only a survivor of sexual abuse, but someone who supports somebody who is a survivor of sexual abuse can read and, and relate to and find help in. and then another piece that I added to the book is a reflective journal so the reader can download this reflective journal. and throughout the book, there's these prompts, these reflective prompts that you. You are able to kind of pause and think about your own journey and really connect to your own life and your own journey. so it's. It's this active experience. I wanted it to be something where people weren't just reading about my story. I wanted it to be something where they were connecting to their own.
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> Amy McKiernan>and so it makes it a book for anyone who has experienced any type of sexual abuse, no matter how long or how recent it has been for you. it doesn't matter if it was a long time ago, and it doesn't matter if it was super recent. This book can, can be for you and can provide you support and help. and like I said before, it's also a book for allies and support people. Who, who are supporting someone going through this. I think that it provides a deep level of understanding for support people as well.
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> Curtis Jackson>Well, talk to the listeners about the, cover design of your book. You know, is there a special meaning, behind it?
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> Amy McKiernan>Yes. I really. Thank you for asking. I really love the COVID of my book, because there is a very deep and special meaning, to it. It is inspired by kintsugi, which is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery and filling the cracks with gold.
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> Amy McKiernan>And the pottery is considered stronger, more beautiful and more valuable than before because it's formed through suffering. And my colleague, and friend Allison Grievison, actually designed it for me. she came up with the concept after reading my book, my manuscript, and wanted to design my cover because she's just amazing like that. And, she came up with the design. She. She was like, oh, my gosh, this reminds me of Kintsugi. And, and it was just so perfect, you know, because it's all about repairing what's broken. You know, it's putting it back together in a strong and beautiful, powerful way where your value isn't lost. If, if anything, it's greater, you know, overcoming hardships and growing from them and identifying by the strength and, learning that comes from hardships, I believe is so beautiful, you know, not viewing yourself, getting to a point where you don't view yourself as broken or damaged because of the things that have happened to you.
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> Amy McKiernan>And I went a long time, a long time viewing myself as broken and damaged. Broken. Damaged goods.
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> Amy McKiernan>Right. That. That, term was so relatable to me.
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> Amy McKiernan>Damaged goods. And that's how I perceived myself and how I felt the world perceived me. And therefore I went, went about my life, just kind of, you know, almost like accepting the treatment because it was like, well, that's. This is my lot in life. This is who I am for the world. Right?
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> Amy McKiernan>And it wasn't until I was able to overcome and really become stronger and identify with the strength from my experiences and view myself as valuable again, just like that. Kintsugi hattery, that, you know, I now know my worth and my value to the world. And I feel confident and I feel bold, and I feel like my voice matters and it's such a beautiful and powerful place to be. and so I love that the COVID of the book, I mean, that's.
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> Amy McKiernan>It's the first thing you see. It's this beautiful blue, and you can see the cracks are filled with gold. and it's. And it represents the. The journey that I want for the reader.
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> Curtis Jackson>Well, tell us the eight keys and also tell us if these eight keys need to be done in any specific order.
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> Amy McKiernan>Sure, yeah. So I'll list them off for you. they are called. One is, understand the impact, avoid the void, speak up, solidify your support system.
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> Amy McKiernan>Pave your new path with choice. Put things where they belong, Take time for self care, be your own gardener. And the last one is claim your justice.
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> Amy McKiernan>And they actually do not need to be done in any particular order. What, I like about these keys is that they are very sustainable and very attainable for anyone there. You know, anyone can read about these keys and feel like they can, accomplish them. you know, some will feel harder than others, some will feel too big, you know, compared to others. And that's all okay. They don't have to be done in any certain order. As you're reading through them, you might say, oh man, like, yeah, this, I'm already here, I've got this one down, but this next one, oof, I'm not ready for it.
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> Amy McKiernan>Okay, I'm going to revisit that another time. And that's okay. and so, yeah, they can be, you can revisit them anytime. You can skip over one, you know, and come back to it. You can start with any certain one. It's, they really, you know, can be done, you know, whenever the reader is ready for them.
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> Curtis Jackson>Well, if there's a survivor listening right now who is feeling lost, what is one short and simple action that they can take from your book to, find fulfillment again?
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> Amy McKiernan>That's a great question. You know, I think that it all boils down to choice. and if you're feeling lost when you just don't know where to start, remember that you do have power over choices. And, and some choices can be small, small choices toward healing, you know, I think that that's, you know, one of the keys is pave your, ah, new path with choice. And it's all about reclaiming your choices in life. Because when you experience sexual abuse, you know that your choices were taken from you. And that is a very, very hard thing to go through. But when you can reclaim your choices in life, you're getting your power back.
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> Amy McKiernan>And some of those choices could be simple and small. And, you know, if everything's feeling too big right now, if the thought of taking bigger steps in your healing journey are feeling too unattainable, then you can focus on one small choice at a time, you know, each day, each moment.
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> Amy McKiernan>What is one small choice that you're going to make toward your well being and toward get reclaiming your life. And maybe that's talking to a friend, maybe that's calling a therapist, maybe that's deciding what not to put into your body or what boundary to make that day, you know, and every day that you make small attainable choices toward your health and well being, you're chipping away at this new healthy path for yourself. And each day you do that, then that path becomes smoother and clearer and a little bit easier to go down. And then sometimes those small choices turn into much bigger ones, toward your health and your reclaiming your life. So I think my advice to any reader who feels lost and doesn't quite know what to do is what's make one small choice. What can that one small choice be for yourself in this moment to reclaim your health and your healing?
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> Curtis Jackson>Well, tell us about any other upcoming projects that you're working on that listeners need to be aware of.
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> Amy McKiernan>Yeah, so you know, right now I am doing you know, podcasts, trying to get, you know, spread the word about my book and in hopes that it will help as many, as many people who need it. so you know I'm doing podcast and I am also, you know I mentioned before that I'm a presenter for campus Outreach Services and Take Back the Night. That's a newer project. That's something a, ah, new, new road I'm on. I'm really excited about it. and so I'll be having some speaking opportunities coming up at different college campuses and organizations. so I'm very excited about that. And yeah I think that those are the, you know, the two things that I'm really doing right now to get my voice out there and to spread the news about this book in hopes that it can help as many people as possible.
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> Curtis Jackson>Well, I know that you're the current director, for employee relations for five early learning schools. do you want to speak about anything on that?
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> Amy McKiernan>I mean yes, I'm also doing that. I'm really busy.
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> Amy McKiernan>I love that position. I work within our, it's a small but large teaching community and I get to work with five, schools where I go and I really get to work with the staff and the teachers, mainly and we focus on healthy communication, and solution based conversations and repairing, you know, it kind of all intertwines. Right. Repairing things that get broken. Right. You know, when you work in a close knit community, often there's breakdowns or, or there's advocacy that needs to happen for yourself and people don't always know how to do it. And, that's what I support them with, is advocating for themselves and others and, repairing broken communication when that happens, because it happens to everyone. I do training on healthy communication for all the schools. so, yeah, I'm really passionate about that and I'm looking forward to continuing that work with, with the schools. because it's, it's kind of my whole journey in life is, supporting, supporting people in being healthy, strong versions of themselves and realizing that we can all not only do hard things, but we can overcome hard things in all areas of life. Whether it's work, communication, whether it's something deep like trauma, whether it's a really hard day. You know, it's all about taking the next right step, making that next healthy right choice for you and doing the work and overcoming those really hard things that life throws at us. you know, and this, the more you do it, the stronger you get, and then the stronger you are to, you know, kind of withstand the next storm that comes. Right. Just because, you know, just because you do the work and you, you heal and you feel stronger over one situation doesn't mean life doesn't give you another storm to withstand.
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> Amy McKiernan>And I just feel like doing this kind of work, rebuilding and restoring it makes you stronger to handle whatever those storms may be. and so it's kind of just like my passion all around. And I, and I, you know, focus, on it in all areas of life. And so I'm just excited to, to continue with that type of work in all aspects.
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> Curtis Jackson>We'll throw out your contact info so, so people can purchase that book and keep up with everything that you're up to.
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> Amy McKiernan>Yeah, so, you know, you can visit my website. it is Amy McKiernan.com and you'll see information about, my book on there. Some upcoming podcasts will be on there, some previous recording of podcasts will be on there. you can find my book, you can check out your local bookstore. You can find it on Amazon. You can, support independent, authors and buy it@bookbabybookshop.com, and then you can also follow me on social media. I'm on Instagram and Facebook and pretty much all the platforms, to see what, what, what's going on.
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> Amy McKiernan>I'll be posting all my upcoming things. So.
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> Curtis Jackson>Close this out with some final thoughts. Maybe if that was something I forgot to talk about that you would like to touch on or any final thoughts you have for the listeners.
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> Amy McKiernan>Final thoughts. I mean, I think my final thought and the thing that I would like to leave with listeners, ah, is that it's never too late to heal, and we are all worthy of it and deserving of it. And don't forget, you can focus on one small choice at a time. You know, you're listening right now to this. So, you know, what, what will you choose next?
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> Curtis Jackson>All, right, ladies and gentlemen, if you are, ah, somebody else, that you know, is dealing with, you know, trying to survive sexual assault. Amy mckiernan.com Go pick up the book and check out those eight Ah, keys and keep up with everything that Amy's up to. Follow Rate Review Share this episode to as many people as possible and go sign up for the Living the dream newsletter at www.craveball337.com. Leave us a review, any suggestions you have for the show, and share the website to everybody that you know. Thank you for listening and supporting the show. And Amy, thank you for all that you're doing and thank you for joining me.
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> Amy McKiernan>Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.
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> Curtis Jackson>For more information on the Living the Dream with Curveball Podcast, visit www.craveball337.com until next time, keep Living the dream.
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