Breaking the Silence, Building the Bridge: An Autoethnographic Reflection on Survival, Faith, and the Birth of the LeadHer Healing Movement

Abstract

This autoethnographic exploration traces the lived experience of Dr. La'Tesha Sampson, a licensed clinical social worker, author, professor, media personality  and survivor of profound childhood trauma, as a lens to examine healing, leadership, and liberation for Black women survivors. Through narratives of betrayal, silencing, spiritual reckoning, and ultimate reclamation, this work highlights how the intersections of racialized trauma, family dysfunction, and institutional betrayal can devastate the spirit — but also birth extraordinary leadership. Dr. Sampson’s survival journey, culminating in the creation of the LeadHer Healing Certification Program alongside Dr. Jamila T. Davis, reflects the radical possibility that survivors are not broken — they are builders of new worlds. Centering faith, cultural resilience, and peer-led healing, this article calls for trauma recovery models that honor lived experience as expertise and transform survivors into healers of generations.