Tom Wilken is a retired counsellor and the authour of “Rebuilding Your House of Self-Respect:
Men Recovering in Group from Childhood Sexual Abuse,” which is accompanied by a workbook
of the same name. Tom has worked tirelessly for over thirty years with male survivors of
childhood grooming and sexual abuse in private practice through his agency, “Hope and Healing
Associates,” and within both the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Ministry of
Communication, Safety and Corrections Services in Ontario, Canada as a probation officer. He
was the first, and so far, one of the only therapists in Canada to have worked for a sexual
assault crisis centre that had a separate satellite office for men’s programs when he began his
work. Tom is literally, “The Man Who Wrote the Book,” on male childhood grooming and sexual
abuse.

Tom shares his breadth and wealth of understanding and experience with Denis in this episode.
This specific episode was a challenge to keep under two-hours in length due to Tom’s vast
knowledge and compassionate efforts for all men, including those within both the Indigenous
and incarcerated populations.
This is an episode which can be paused and picked up again at any point, and it is even
suggested that listeners take their time in listening to this episode in parts. In order to fully
integrate the benevolence with which Tom expresses his awareness and expertise in kicking
open doors, albeit with extreme empathy and gentleness, listeners will be able to further grasp
the nuances involved in the healing journeys of male survivors of sexual trauma by revisiting
this episode at any point in its extended length.
This episode is also a very direct call for further funding for programming for male and male-
identified survivors of sexual trauma through both private, corporate, and government-
sponsored benefactors; whether through government grants, community-improvement
initiatives through large banking and insurance organizations, or through altruistic funding from
wealthy private investors; perhaps some of whom are survivors themselves (who are invited to
share their own stories of surviving childhood grooming and sexual abuse on future seasons of
“Groomed” as beacons of hope and courage.)

As we continue to open up and unpack this challenging conversation, we need more personal
stories from men and how their experiences have led to them becoming not only “survivors,”
but “thrivers,” able to reach out a hand to help other men less fortunate than themselves who
are still struggling to find integration and wholeness within themselves. The mission of this
podcast is to help men who are still fraught with a shame which was never theirs to own.
Childhood sexual trauma is never the fault of the child victim. EVER!!
(Please note, that Denis made a verbal error at [41:45] in this episode by identifying “The Body
Keeps the Score,” published in 2015, as being authoured by Dr. Gabor Maté, rather than Dr.
Bessel van der Kolk – another brilliant mind and advocate for somatic experiencing in healing

trauma. Dr. Gabor Maté, is the authour of “When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress,”
published in 2004 as a seminal work in body-held-trauma. Both books have been authoritative
works in explaining how the body “remembers” trauma, and both books have been instrumental
in Denis’s and other survivors’ journeys towards healing childhood sexual trauma.)
Please visit “Groomed: The Podcast” on Facebook/Meta where you will find both a Page
(https://www.facebook.com/groomedpodcast) and an on-line Group
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/298361291291210) for resources and support available
for male and male-identified survivors of childhood grooming and sexual abuse. If commenting, please keep your responses compassionate and supportive. Anything less will be deleted, and
offensive contributors will be blocked and reported. The “Groomed” podcast project is
committed to leading with love, empathy, and compassion.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in sharing your story of surviving childhood
grooming and sexual abuse along with your healing journey on future seasons of this podcast,
please email Denis at TheGroomedPodcast@gmail.com. Guests who wish to remain anonymous
will have their privacy and anonymity protected.

This episode of “Groomed” is dedicated to Jerome Marier, Sr. (1936-2024)

Tracey Rogers is a holistic health care practitioner, Reiki Master, and small business owner of
White Feather Holistic Arts in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She is also the author of “Motorcycles,
Moose, and Magic: The Ride to Self-Love,” and host of the podcast “Talking with Tracey: The
Ride to Self-Love.”

Tracey is a survivor of childhood grooming and sexual abuse, first at the
hands of a 40-year-old male neighbour at 12 years-old, then again in an on-going relationship
with a female high school teacher beginning at age 15 after a suicide attempt, when she turned
to the teacher for support and comfort. After years of struggling with addictions, Tracey is now
sober and is a beacon of help, support and guidance for women around the world through
sharing her story of triumphing over the damage done to her as a child.

In this episode, Denis interviews Tracey about her story and inspirational journey of healing her
trauma. Tracey’s book can be purchased through her website https://whitefeatherarts.com/

Visit “Groomed: The Podcast” on Facebook where you will find both a page
https://www.facebook.com/groomedpodcast and a growing on-line group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/298361291291210 for survivors of childhood grooming
and sexual abuse.

If you or someone you know is interested in sharing your story of childhood grooming and
sexual abuse and your healing journey on future seasons of this podcast, please email Denis at
“TheGroomedPodcast@gmail.com”

Denis Marier welcomes you to Season Two of Groomed, a podcast for male and male-identified survivors of childhood grooming and sexual abuse. In Season One, Denis told his story in conversation with his lifelong friend John Conlon. Now, in Season Two, Denis continues to open up the conversation with several guests who are also survivors, and an expert in the field of therapy and counselling for male survivors.

In Episode One of Season Two, Denis interviews acclaimed Broadway actor, author, and playwright Martin Moran. Martin is also the author of two memoirs, The Tricky Part: A Boy’s Story of Sexual Trespass, A Man’s Journey to Forgiveness, and All the Rage: A Quest which he has also produced into two, one-man plays performed Off-Broadway and on tours around the USA. Martin shares his story of surviving childhood grooming and sexual abuse at the hands of a camp counsellor at a church-sponsored summer camp for boys. He shares his years of trying to supress the memories, and how it all came bubbling up to the surface later in life in a way that made him turn towards his craft as a way of exploring his trauma and his subsequent healing journey through writing his books and plays, and performing them in front of thousands of people.

Links to Martin Moran’s work can be found at AllTheRage.com. He is also a board member of 1in6.org, an organization that offers information, support, and connection to other agencies and professionals who can help.

Join the growing on-line community on Facebook/Meta. Look for “The Groomed Podcast” where you will find both a Page and an on-line Group for conversations and more resources.