The Heroine's Journey Podcast: Episode 10 - Interview With Catherine Ann Wilson

Season #1

In this podcast interview, Susanna Liller chats with Catherine Ann Wilson and how she used her story and survivor skills in order to prevent trauma and stop sexual child abuse across the US.

“Two years ago, I was invited to the white house — they wanted me to come to talk about what I had to say about childhood sexual abuse prevention. And I did.” -Catherine Ann

Episode Highlights

02:40 Introducing Catherine Ann.

09:04  How does child abuse happen and what can we do to stop it?

22:00  Catherine Ann shares her story and Heroine's Journey.

51:43  How Catherine Ann opened the doors for conversation about child sex trafficking.

Get To Know Catherine 

Catherine Ann Wilson spent almost 20 years surviving abuse and sex trafficking.  

The next 20 years were spent doing what she calls “surviving the surviving” and “getting up to zero”. She focused on healing, daring to dream, and in fact reaching those dreams earning a six-figure income despite never having gone to HS.

Always giving back but never sharing her private past until she was nearly 50, volunteering at a local juvenile correctional facility. It was there that the realization that if she chose to… her story could help others understand the domino effect of child abuse and child sexual exploitation…and hopefully motivate people to help stop it from happening in the first place. With the blessing of her family and friends, Catherine stepped out in a very powerful way.

Catherine founded Stop Trafficking ME in 2015, now known as Stop Trafficking US, with the goal of stopping grown-ups from sexually exploiting children. Over the last 6 years Catherine has provided support groups for girls incarcerated, sex-trafficked survivors with weekly zooms bringing in guest speakers from around the world, providing home and personal supplies to the two homes for survivors in Maine. These homes connect donors with survivors in need of tuition, dentures, car repairs, and more. Catherine helped to supply the largest single donation of Christmas toys in the history of Maine’s child welfare programs when Toys for Tots couldn’t.  

In 2019, Catherine was asked by the White House to attend and participate in a brainstorming session regarding sex trafficking, and she was invited back to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Anti-Sex Trafficking Act. She also collaborated with the state of Maine in presenting to the state of Maine Department of Education. She raised the funds needed to give a three-day child abuse prevention conference to the state of Maine free of charge.

Catherine was named one of Maine’s 2019 Outstanding Women. Last March 2021, Catherine collaborated with the State of Maine Department of Education and Safety is offering a 3-day virtual training… she educated 690 teachers, social workers, and prosecuting attorneys.

Catherine is proud to be on the committee of Cumberland County’s Child Advocacy Center and the University of NH Crimes Against Children Research Labs Project and provides support to best practices of law enforcement in dealing with sex-trafficked minors.

Catherine’s hope for spring 2022 is a three-day training on vicarious trauma for first responders and all those in contact with children in Maine.

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