“Wow, I can't express how healing it is to have shared a part of my story and have folks read it anonymously and offer words of encouragement. Just the idea of being seen is so special. I realize the story I posted is quite graphic which I could have held back on but I wrote it from a place of feeling quite raw. Thank you for this space and for holding my story.”
“Since I've shared my story here, I'm beginning to feel that perhaps I will even be able to reach out to my local center for support. Much good will come of it. I've decided that I can trust myself enough to reach out. I know what I need and have been avoiding it, but as we say, I've got this.”
“You, as the survivor, have absolutely no shame in what happened. Believe me when I tell you, the shame is misplaced and that shame belongs to your abuser, not you. You matter. You have a voice and you deserve to have it heard. For those on the beginning of their healing journey, please stay strong and keep going, even when it hurts to do so. If you do not have the support system that is crucial to your healing, let this space be your support. You will smile again. You will laugh again. You will live again.”
“I have built a new life. I am a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, and a nurse, but above all, I am a survivor who set up her own charity to help other women. Women like you. Women like us. And from the bottom of my heart, I wish nothing but love and strength for you, wherever you are on your journey.”
“Hi, I'm new here. I've been in therapy for some years now. This is my second go-round with trauma therapy. lately, I've been feeling lost and wondering what I was doing wrong in therapy, then I came across this website. I don't know how to explain it with the right words, but reading and hearing from other people who have been through things that can relate to me is something so much different than a therapy session.”
“I love this page. I am so glad I found it so that I could kind of get it off of my chest because it’s not something I talk about. It breaks my heart how many of us there are. But I am so glad we have each other, this space, the progress being made to try to prevent this from continuing to happen, to hold them accountable. We’ve got a long way to go but I’m proud of our progress. I’m proud of all of you. I see you, I hear you, I believe you. We got this. 🖤”
“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to express ourselves through your beautiful platform. Your comfort is warm, soft, full of beauty needed when you are working through healing.”
“I appreciate how many people read my story on here. Even providing some support. Thank you for giving me the courage to tell someone in my life I hold dear this one shame I have held on to for so long. My best friend never understood why I have been so hell bent on blaming myself in almost every bad thing/inconvenience in my life. Once I told her this, she said 'wow...you know that makes sense and is a normal thing that children who have been abused sexually themselves do right?".”
“When I was younger, I was sexually abused. Those words still sting. He was a neighbor and family friend who gained my trust at a young age. I felt so alone, ashamed, guilty, dirty. I felt so stuck. It took years for me to open up and start talking about it. But taking that step, and sharing my story, began my healing journey. I was abused for almost 10 years before it stopped. I am here to share my story to say that there is a light. There is hope. Taking that step to share your story is the first step towards healing. Healing is possible. You are not alone 💙”
“The world may seem different now, but within me lies an incredible wellspring of resilience. My story is far from over. I will embrace the journey of healing, and know that with time, the light of self-love will shine ever brighter. I am worthy of a future filled with healthy connections, fulfilling experiences, and endless possibilities. With each step, I break free. The scars remain, a testament to my journey, but the light within me shines brighter than ever. The future is mine to write.”
“To all survivors out there....healing is possible. I am lucky enough to bear witness to it everyday. If you are feeling hopeless, know that you do not need to go through this alone. If someone does not support you in the way you deserve, don't give up. You are worth so much more than what you've experienced. Be gentle with yourself and thank you for being you.”
“I find this very healing. I heard about it on radio just this morning, and I thought it was an excellent idea to allow people to publish their stories without going through the stress of a #MeToo declaration or taking court cases which would only re-traumatise us. Just knowing that there are people who came up with this idea is very empowering. Thank you so much.”
“Dear fellow survivor, You are not alone. What happened to you isn't your fault. What you recall is valid. How you felt about that moment is valid. How you decide to carry forward is valid. It may seem that your journey is one that you have to take alone. Alone, no. Defining what you need for yourself? Yes. There is a community that surrounds you and it is full of love and a shared identity. Lean on the community when you need to. We are here for each other.”
Our Wave is a safe harbor for survivors of sexual harm, domestic violence, and child abuse.
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By the Numbers
We are building a pathway to healing, together.
Storytelling Community
448,996+
Community users
1,523+
Stories shared
Survivor Questions & Answers
546+
Questions answered
Resources
26,397+
Resource referrals
The Problem
Survivors need a safe space to explore their healing online.
Healing looks different for everyone. We are building a vibrant community that supports all survivors, regardless of where they are in their journey.
Our Solution
We are using technology to make community-driven healing accessible for every survivor.
Learn about what we doProvide a safe space for survivors to share experiences
Offer expert-guided resources to learn and grow
Foster a supportive online community to uplift survivors
Empower individuals to navigate their own unique healing journeys
The Our Wave Community
Our community thrives on healing, support, and understanding.
Share your story
Storytelling is powerful. We provide a safe space for survivors to share their experiences with an empathetic community, fostering support, hope, and healing.
Messages of hope & healing
No survivor should face their journey alone. We offer a secure platform for survivors to exchange messages of hope, support, and healing with others who understand what they are going through. We're in this together.
Survivor questions & answers
We've compiled answers to frequently asked questions from our community. These insights aim to help survivors, advocates, and allies better understand trauma and the healing process.
Resources for survivors & allies
In collaboration with our partners, we offer a curated list of trusted resources. Survivors can find support for sexual harm, domestic violence, and child abuse.
Voices of Support
Hear from our users & supporters.
Hayley Harris
Co-founder, Layers of Dignity
“When a survivor has a safe place to tell their story they are given empowerment and freedom - Our Wave does just that!”
Anonymous
Our Wave User
“Sharing my story allowed me to feel like I had a voice that I didn’t have before. I had the freedom to choose when and who I shared it with.”
Suzanne Brown-McBride
Former Executive Director of CALCASA
“I believe that Our Wave provides a vital platform for survivors to find collective voice safely and securely. We will never find a way to end sexual harm until we can talk about it and learn from one another. Talking about the violence in our lives can be a way to find healing and hope.”
Sarah S.
Our Wave User
“If I had known when I was a 20-year old girl that there was a place where I could go to talk about my experience. A place where I could meet a warm and accepting community to share this stuff with would have made an enormous difference. It can really remove the pain and reconnect you to people again after feeling isolated for so long.”
Our Story
We are here to help change the conversation.
Finding Strength in Healing is what we do.
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Partner With Us
Give your community the power of storytelling.
Launch a branded, no-code storytelling platform for your organization in days, not months. We provide safe, anonymous spaces with full moderation and trauma-informed support.
47,999+
Users of partner communities
473+
Stories shared with partner communities
Our Mantra
Survivor communities matter.
Survivor communities are powerful.
Survivors should not have to be alone. Our mission is to provide a safe platform in which individuals can share stories and interact with others to highlight hope and begin the healing process together.
Learn about what we doSurvivor communities are safe.
Each survivor story is handled with care and transparency, with anonymity and safety as our top priority. We will never share your story or contact you without permission.
Read our community guidelines
Survivor communities make a difference.
When survivors share their experiences and connect with others, it creates a ripple of validation and support. As more survivors find their voice to speak their truths, these ripples grow into waves of change, breaking the silence and stigma that too often isolate survivors.
Read about our impactCommon questions
Is Our Wave free to use?
Yes. Sharing your story, reading other survivors’ stories, asking a question, and using our resource referrals are all free for survivors. Our Wave is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundation grants, individual donations, and program revenue from organizations that license our storytelling platform, rather than by charging the survivors we serve.
Is sharing my story anonymous?
Yes. Our Wave is an anonymous platform. Before a story is posted, our review team redacts information that could identify you or anyone else in your story, including names, locations, and social media handles. You decide how much to share.
Who can see my story after I share it?
Once it is published, your story is public on our community platform, where other survivors can read it and respond with support. It is only published after identifying details have been redacted. Within Our Wave, a limited number of senior technical staff can access platform data, and only for debugging purposes. When you share your story, we will send a secure link to your email that will allow you to update the visibility of your story at any time.
Who is Our Wave for?
Our Wave is for all survivors of sexual harm, domestic violence, and child abuse, regardless of gender, background, or where you are in your healing. Allies are welcome as well, and anyone can send a message of support whether or not they personally identify as a survivor.