Top 11 Unique Resources For MST Victims And Survivors

If you're looking for more to ways to enhance your healing journey, this is the blog post for you!

1. The Silenced Voices of MST Podcast
The Silenced Voices Podcast shares personal stories from survivors of Military Sexual Trauma (MST), providing a supportive space where listeners can hear from people just like them. The podcast focuses on healing, empowerment, and reclaiming your voice after trauma, offering actionable steps and a sense of community.

• How It Helps You: If you’re looking for real stories and guidance from fellow survivors, this podcast offers a safe space for validation and support.

• Where to Get It: Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or visit silencedvoicesmst.com.

2. The War Horse
The War Horse is a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering issues that impact the military and veteran community, with a focus on mental health, trauma, and personal stories. They publish investigative reports and first-person essays from veterans, offering a platform for stories of survival and resilience.

• How It Helps You: Reading stories from other veterans can help you feel less alone in your experience. Their articles can offer validation and insight into the wider issues surrounding MST in the military.

• Where to Get It: Visit thewarhorse.org.

3. Women Veterans Network (WoVeN)
WoVeN offers peer support groups specifically for women veterans, creating a safe and supportive space where women can connect, share experiences, and focus on personal wellness. These groups are either in-person or virtual, and they provide a strong sense of community and belonging.

• How It Helps You: If you’re feeling isolated and want to connect with other women who understand your experience, WoVeN’s peer groups can offer the friendship, support, and connection you need.

• Where to Get It: Learn more or find a group at wovenwomenvets.org.

4. Veterans Yoga Project
The Veterans Yoga Project offers trauma-sensitive yoga classes designed to help veterans reconnect with their bodies in a safe and healing way. The physical practice of yoga can help manage stress, anxiety, and symptoms related to trauma.

• How It Helps You: If you’re looking for a gentle way to heal physically and mentally, their yoga programs are specifically tailored to veterans dealing with trauma, including MST.

• Where to Get It: Find local classes or online resources at veteransyogaproject.org.

5. Beyond MST App
Beyond MST App Beyond MST is a free, secure, trauma-sensitive mobile app. The app has over 30 specialized tools and other features to help those who use it cope with challenges, manage symptoms, improve their quality of life and find hope. Users can also take brief assessments in the app, set self-care goals, track recovery progress, and learn more about MST and common concerns. The app keeps your information private; no account is needed, and any personal information entered in the app is not shared with anyone, including the VA.

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• How It Helps You: You can use the app on your own or as a companion to formal treatment, and it may be helpful to survivors of other types of unwanted sexual experiences, too.

• Where to Get It: You can download the app here https://mobile.va.gov/app/beyond-mst.

6. Service Women's Action Network (SWAN)
SWAN is dedicated to improving the lives of servicewomen and women veterans, with a focus on advocating for survivors of MST. They provide peer support, leadership opportunities, and tools for navigating the complex military and veteran systems.

• How It Helps You: If you need legal advocacy or are looking for a strong community of women who’ve been in your shoes, SWAN can help you find your voice and get the support you deserve.

• Where to Get It: Visit servicewomen.org for more information.

7. Healing Warrior Hearts
Healing Warrior Hearts offers free retreats designed for veterans who have experienced trauma, including MST. These retreats focus on emotional healing through group therapy, creative arts, and wellness practices, all in a peaceful and supportive setting.

• How It Helps You: If you’re seeking a more immersive, in-person experience to heal from trauma, this retreat provides a safe space where you can process your emotions and reconnect with yourself.

• Where to Get It: Apply for a retreat at healingwarriorhearts.org.

8. Shield of Sisters
Shield of Sisters creates safe spaces where courageous women can share their stories, access vital resources, and transform from surviving to thriving.

• How It Helps You: IShield of Sisters believes that we are duty-bound to help our sister service members overcome the weight of Military Sexual Trauma.

• Where to Get It: Explore their content at shieldofsisters.org.

9. Pink Berets
Pink Berets offers a variety of mental health and wellness services to female veterans and first responders, including those who have experienced MST. They provide equine therapy, art therapy, mindfulness programs, and more, all designed to help survivors heal in non-traditional ways.

• How It Helps You: If you’re looking for alternative therapies to heal your mind and body, Pink Berets offers creative and accessible ways to address your trauma.

• Where to Get It: Learn more at thepinkberets.org.

10. Forward Assist
This site offers life-enhancing, totally inclusive, educative, and advocacy-driven research projects that promote inclusion and facilitate the learning of new skills and systemic change.

• How It Helps You: All Forward Assists projects and interventions are based upon the core Social Work values of service; social justice, dignity, self-determination, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.

• Where to Get It: Find more information at https://www.forward-assist.com/.

11. Veterans Crisis Line
For MST survivors in immediate distress, the Veterans Crisis Line provides 24/7 confidential support. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or need someone to talk to, trained responders are available to provide immediate help.

• How It Helps You: If you’re in crisis and need someone to talk to, this resource offers fast, confidential support from responders who understand the unique challenges veterans face.

• Where to Get It: Access the line at veteranscrisisline.net or by calling 1-800-273-8255 (press 1).

These 11 resources offer unique support for MST survivors and are designed to help you navigate the complexities of recovery, build community, and find strength. Whether you’re seeking peer support, alternative therapies, or advocacy, these organizations provide tools for healing in meaningful ways. Take the time to explore these options and see which are most helpful to you. Please leave a comment to share how it went!

Join Our Community for Support and Healing

If you're ready to connect with others who understand your journey,
I invite you to join The Advocates of MST.
Inside, you'll find a supportive community of survivors, along with tips, resources, and the latest news from Silenced Voices of MST. Together, we can take steps toward healing and reclaiming our power.
Join us today for support and real conversations—you're not alone in this.

A Special Update on The Silenced Voices of MST

Madvocates (that’s our new name, y’all!), as many of you know, I've been on a path of deep reflection and soul-searching recently. This journey has led me to reconsider how our podcast and YouTube channel can best serve you, our dedicated listeners and viewers. Over the past few months, I've reached out to many of you to ask what you truly want from this platform. Your feedback has been invaluable, and it’s clear that we’re ready for some changes.

More Value, More Support

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You’ve asked for more actionable resources, and I hear you. The episodes that have resonated the most with our community are those that offer tangible benefits—like discussions on float spas for PTSD relief or Pablo's story about using plant medicine for healing. Moving forward, we promise to focus on providing the resources that will genuinely improve your lives. Expect more episodes filled with coping strategies, alternative healing methods, and expert advice designed to empower you every step of the way.

Why the Big Voice is Taking a Break

The "Big Voice"—the news segment we've used to address military sexual trauma—will be taking a backseat for now. This decision wasn't made lightly. I realized that most of us who tune into the podcast or watch our YouTube channel are already well aware of the prevalence and severity of MST. It’s a reality we live with daily; it's not new to us, and constantly hearing about it in broad strokes doesn’t add meaningful value to our lives. Our community understands the depth of the issue. What we need now is not more reminders of how often these tragedies occur but rather resources, support, and practical tools to help us navigate the aftermath. That’s where our focus will shift.

So, how can you expect our content to change? Moving forward, we plan to produce more in-depth content rather than weekly summaries. This means fewer, but more substantial episodes and videos. We'll dive deep into specific stories, using Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and other investigative tools to uncover how systemic failures occur and explore potential solutions. These deep dives will allow us to understand not just the “what” but the “why” and the “how”—how things went wrong, why they continue to go wrong, and what can be done to fix them. By focusing on these comprehensive investigations, we can offer a clearer path forward and actionable insights for our community.

Connecting Emotionally: The Power of Stories and Support

Our shift in focus also comes from a desire to connect with you on a deeper emotional level. I am committed to sharing stories that not only highlight the challenges we face but also the resilience and strength within our community. By spotlighting those who have been tirelessly fighting the good fight, we can inspire and support each other. I’ve connected with incredible individuals and organizations doing this work not for profit, but to protect others from what happened to them. It’s time these unsung heroes get the recognition they deserve.

Expanding Our Global Impact

Another exciting development is our expansion into the global landscape of MST. You may not know this, but military sexual trauma is not confined to any one country; it is a pervasive issue affecting militaries worldwide. I've had the privilege of connecting with people in different armed forces around the globe, and I told you the podcast was growing—I wasn't kidding! Together, we will create an international dialogue that highlights the universal nature of this problem, pushing for change wherever it is needed.

Practical Tools and Resources for Healing

In future episodes, expect practical, easy-to-implement advice that can help you navigate your healing journey. And if you become a member of our Patreon, you'll get access to them before anyone. Whether it's understanding how to get the most out of your C&P exam or finding new ways to cope with trauma, we're here to provide you with the tools you need. The podcast will focus on actionable content designed to make a real difference in your daily life. To continue receiving all these valuable insights and resources, make sure you're subscribed to our podcast and YouTube channel. Don't miss out on the latest episodes filled with expert advice, powerful stories, and practical tools to support your journey. Hit that subscribe button now and join us in this global movement for change.

Thank You for Your Patience and Support

I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you—our listeners, viewers, readers—our Madvocates—for your patience as I navigate these changes. Your feedback and support have been a guiding light. I've realized that the work we're doing here is vital, and I’m committed to making this space as supportive, informative, and empowering as possible. I’ve been through quite a bit in the last year since starting this show, and I truly appreciate you going on this journey with me. It’s been an interesting one, to say the least, but I’m here for you, and I’m determined to continue growing and evolving this platform. This new direction feels like the best way forward, with a focus that is clear and unified.

What Do You Want to See Next?

As we move forward, I want to hear more from you. What kind of content would be most helpful? What topics do you want us to explore? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Your input is crucial to ensuring that this podcast continues to serve its most important purpose: supporting and empowering survivors.

Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments. What would you like to see from the podcast? How can we better support you as you heal? Your feedback is invaluable, and I’m committed to incorporating your ideas to make this podcast the best it can be.

Let’s keep moving forward, together.

<3 Rachelle