162. Dr. David Lisak, PhD: The Man Who Shaped My Work — Sharing Science, Wisdom, and Hope
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Release Date: 11/04/2025
169. Shannon Porter: "What They Don’t Say" Is in The House...and The Social Media Reels People Can’t Ignore
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
I’m happy to announce that I’m joined once again by Shannon Porter, host and co-founder of the What They Don’t Say podcast. Shannon returns to talk about the evolution of her work, her growing presence on social media, and what’s driving her to speak more openly, and more frequently, about the realities of surviving rape and sexual assault. Our conversation centers on the reels and posts Shannon is producing to help shed light on what survivors face every day: how people respond when a survivor shares their story, the misunderstandings that follow trauma, and the emotional labor...
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168. Marina Lacerda: When Epstein Power, Money, and Rape Collided — and She Survived
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
For decades, Marina was known only as “Minor Victim-1” in legal documents — a label that stripped away her humanity while protecting those responsible. In this conversation, Marina reclaims what was taken from her: her voice, her story, and her identity. She speaks not just about what happened, but about what it costs to survive abuse at that scale — the trauma that lingers, the mistrust that settles in the body, and the long road back to agency and truth. This episode is not sensational, and it is not speculative. It is grounded in lived experience and courageous truth-telling....
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167. Erin Williamson: Love146 — Pulling Children Back from the Darkness
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Erin Williamson joins me for an incredibly important conversation about her work with Love146, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children from human trafficking and walking alongside young survivors on their path to healing. Erin shares what this work truly looks like — not the headlines, but the day-to-day reality of survivor care, long-term recovery, and prevention education — and how essential it is to understand trafficking as a real issue affecting real children in communities across the country. We discuss the profound impact trafficking has on children’s brains,...
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166. Jason Patrick Berry: Secrets Beneath a Perfect Childhood
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
This week on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I sit down with Jason Patrick Berry, author of the brave and unflinchingly honest memoir Secrets Beneath. Jason’s story is one that quietly breaks your heart and then slowly helps rebuild it. On the outside, his childhood looked perfectly normal, even picturesque. But behind closed doors lived a painful reality of abuse, secrecy, and survival that no child should ever have to experience. In Secrets Beneath, Jason pulls back that veil and walks us through the lasting impact of trauma, including post trauma stress, anxiety, and emotional...
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165. Anonymous: A Return Guest Shares Some Meaningful Impacts of Being a Guest on SASS
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
This week on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I’m joined once again by a guest whose voice made a deep impact the first time she appeared on the show. For this episode, she’s choosing to remain anonymous and will be known as “Ann”—a decision that becomes increasingly meaningful as you hear why she reached out to return. Ann came back to talk about a part of the survivor experience that rarely gets acknowledged: what happens inside a person after they share their story publicly, and how the emotional ripple effects can show up long after the recording ends. In this conversation, Ann...
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164. Rita Smith: The Voice That Changed the National Conversation
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
In this week’s episode of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I’m honored to welcome someone whose name has become synonymous with advocacy, leadership, and meaningful systemic change. Rita Smith has spent more than four decades reshaping how this country understands, responds to, and prevents violence against women. From her grassroots beginnings to her national-level impact, Rita has consistently shown up for survivors with a rare blend of humility, strength, and deep psychological insight. Rita’s work reaches across some of the largest platforms in the nation. She has served as Senior...
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163. Anne Marie Hauben: The Truth About Non-consent, Trauma, and Speaking Up
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast with Dave Markel Guest: Anne Marie Hauben I’m honored to share this week’s episode of The SASS Podcast with someone whose courage doesn’t just echo across a microphone—it reverberates across decades of silence, retaliation, and survival: Anne Marie Hauben. Anne Marie isn’t just a guest. She is a truth-teller, an advocate, and a woman who refused to let a lifetime of dismissal define her story. After more than 30 years of carrying the weight of an assault she endured at 18 years old, she decided she would not stay silent any...
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162. Dr. David Lisak, PhD: The Man Who Shaped My Work — Sharing Science, Wisdom, and Hope
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
I’m so honored to share this week’s episode of The SASS Podcast with someone who is far more than a guest—he’s a mentor, a guiding light, and a dear friend: Dr. David Lisak, PhD. I’ve personally known David since 1992, when I met him at a training conference where we were both teaching on rape and sexual assault investigations. From those early days of my journey into trauma-informed investigations, inspired by David, he set the bar for what rigorous, compassionate, science-based work looks like. I’m grateful every day that our paths crossed. Who is David Lisak? David is a...
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161. Diane: Fighting for Justice for Almost 50 Years…Because It’s That Important!
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
I had a SASS listener reach out to me a few months ago via email. It was a short email, but it sure got my attention. The writer, Diane, told me that she had been listening to SASS for a while, and that she was very appreciative of the show, as she is a survivor of military sexual assault (MSA) from almost 50 years ago. She also told me she had sent me a large envelope of important information about her case…certified, return receipt. That’ll peak you’re curiosity! I did get a large envelope a few days later. It was a pretty full, 9x12 , mailing envelope, full of documents—letters, law...
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160. Inside The Epstein Era: An Important Re-airing From The Jan Broberg Show
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
This week’s episode of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories is a powerful replay of Episode 223 from The Jan Broberg Show — an episode that I was honored to join alongside Beth Magnetic, host of the Mormon True Crime Podcast. In this deeply important conversation, Jan, Beth, and I confront one of the most disturbing and misunderstood realities of our time: how a trafficking operation like Jeffrey Epstein’s could remain functional, protected, and operational for more than four decades — despite countless victims, despite obvious warning signs, despite so many people “knowing” something...
info_outlineI’m so honored to share this week’s episode of The SASS Podcast with someone who is far more than a guest—he’s a mentor, a guiding light, and a dear friend: Dr. David Lisak, PhD.
I’ve personally known David since 1992, when I met him at a training conference where we were both teaching on rape and sexual assault investigations. From those early days of my journey into trauma-informed investigations, inspired by David, he set the bar for what rigorous, compassionate, science-based work looks like. I’m grateful every day that our paths crossed.
Who is David Lisak?
- David is a clinical and forensic psychologist whose career has been defined by an extraordinary depth of research into interpersonal violence, sexual assault, and the long-term impact of childhood abuse—especially in men. (House Docs)
- He earned his PhD from Duke University and later served as Associate Professor of Psychology at University of Massachusetts Boston. (Wikipedia)
- His research includes seminal work on so-called “undetected rapists” — men who committed sexual assault but were never prosecuted — helping shift how the criminal justice system and institutions think about serial offending and victim vulnerability. (TIME)
- He is a founding board member of 1in6 — a nonprofit dedicated to supporting male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. (House Docs)
- David’s work has had real-world reach: trainings across every U.S. state, consultation with the military, and involvement in major judicial and prosecutorial education efforts on sexual assault. (kirtland.af.mil)
- On a personal level, David is himself a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. He turned that lived wound into a mission: to break silence, deepen understanding, and empower both survivors and the professionals who serve them. (1in6.org)
Why I Asked David to Be on the Show
- Because when I think about trauma-informed interviewing, especially in the sexual assault realm, nobody blends the neuroscience, the forensic rigor, the interviewing technique, and the survivor-centered ethos quite like David.
- Because I’ve seen firsthand how he mentors (me and others) with humility, curiosity, and a deep commitment to doing no additional harm.
- Because our book and masterclass work (on trauma-informed investigations) simply wouldn’t be as strong without grounding from his research and example.
- Because the connection is personal. As someone in this field, you hope for a few mentors who walk the talk. David is one of those. I’m deeply honoured to have him here, and I want our audience to know just how lucky we are to learn alongside him.
What We’ll Explore in This Episode
- The neuroscience of trauma in sexual assault: what happens in the brain and how knowing that changes how we interview survivors.
- The dynamics of perpetration: David’s research on serial offenders, undetected rapists, and how institutions often miss the patterns.
- Interviewing victims without retraumatizing: practical tactics, grounded in empathy, science, and the deep lessons David has gleaned over decades.
- What it means to bring a trauma-informed lens into the criminal justice system: both the opportunities and the hard realities.
- David’s personal journey: how his own survival informed his work, and how hope and resilience can coexist with the gravity of this subject.
Some Notable Highlights & Quotes
- In one of his foundational works, David describes the paradox-that despite sexual assault being treated as one of the most serious crimes, the vast majority of rapes are never prosecuted—and the myths around victim behavior and perpetrator profile still linger. (static.csbsju.edu)
- His 2002 study, “Repeat Rape and Multiple Offending Among Undetected Rapists”, revealed very sobering statistics: among a sample of men who had self-reported acts meeting the legal definition of rape, the average number of rapes per offender was roughly six. (TIME)
- David is quoted in a military base article saying: “Sexual violence is a global problem. It affects every institution and community. The only question: Is it confronted with honesty and commitment?” (kirtland.af.mil)
- From his story on 1in6: “He turned from farming to psychology… He transformed his early traumatic experiences into a career of research and clinical work, focused on trauma.” (1in6.org)
My Personal Reflection
David, I want to say directly: your friendship, your mentorship, your unwavering standard have meant more to me than I can adequately express in these notes. You have modeled for me what it means to combine rigorous science with deep compassion; to enter the “hard space” of sexual assault investigation without turning away; to always center the survivor’s lived experience while equipping professionals with clear, actionable insight. Having you on the SASS Podcast feels like coming full circle. I’m proud, humbled, and ready to dive deep with you.
Audience Takeaway (for them to remember)
- Think of this not just as a “talk episode” but as an opportunity: with David here, you’ll be challenged to think differently about trauma, interviewing, and systems of response.
- If you work in criminal justice, victim advocacy, forensic interviewing—or even just care deeply about supporting survivors—tune in with a notebook handy. David brings insights you’ll want to capture.
- And if you’re a survivor or know one: you’ll hear someone who both understands the science and honors the person behind the trauma. That combination is rare—and precious.
Thank you, David, for accepting my invitation, for journeying with me into this space, and for being the kind of mentor I’ve aspired to be like. And to our listeners: brace yourselves for one of the richest conversations we’ve had on The SASS Podcast.
An important side note: if you’re finding value in this show and these amazing episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, follow SexualAssaultSurvivorStories on Instagram, then, please send me a note of support. I can’t tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. And if you’re a victim or survivor and are ready to tell your story in order to help yourself or someone else heal, let me know, and we can start a conversation about the possibility of you being on the show. Here’s my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already. Just provide me with a phone number where I can reach back out to you…because I like to talk to people who are interested in guesting. And please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you!
Here are some critically important links that I hope you’ll take the time to explore, and where a contribution is requested, please consider doing so!—Thank you!!
https://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/repeat_rape.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.whattheydontsay.com
https://www.survivor-school.com/?ref=DAVEMARKEL
As mentioned, and emphasized, it’s time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault.
Thank you for tuning in.