Kathy Givens on Growing Through Sex Trafficking

Grow Through It: Adult Abuse

Kathy Givens, overcomer, author, and co-founder of Twelve 11 Partners, describes how she was trafficked in her early 20s after establishing a ‘trauma bond’ with a man who exploited her vulnerabilities of moving from Canada to the U.S. in her teens, and her father leaving her family when she was young. For about a year, her trafficker made her work in brothels, strip clubs, hotels/motels, and on house calls. She got through it by holding on to hope. She learned that sex trafficking doesn’t discriminate and that bad things happen to people. Her advice is to take a step to trust again. And know that your story is not over — this does not define you. As part of her healing process, she has become an active advocate in the field of trafficking, using her experience to help others.