"I Didn't Know It Was Wrong, I Just Knew It Didn't Feel Good" | Francesca Raoy Lison on Breaking the Cycle

Francesca Raoy Lison is a Brown University graduate originally from Madagascar and the founder of Umena, a nonprofit working to break the cycle of emotional abuse through social-emotional learning. In this episode, Francesca joins Marissa F. Cohen to talk about what it looked like to finally have a name for what she experienced growing up, and why that single act of naming it changed everything.

Francesca shares the research behind why emotional abuse is so widespread in Madagascar and beyond, how generational cycles and cultural narratives keep it going even when no one intends harm, and what it actually looks like to break that cycle starting with young people. She and Marissa also unpack what "projection" really means in plain language, why prevention matters as much as recovery, and what Umena's school-based programs look like in practice.

This episode discusses generational and cultural patterns of emotional abuse, including statistics on how many children are affected. There is no graphic detail, but listener discretion is advised, and the statistics referenced are as shared by the guest and should be verified before this episode goes live.

This episode is sponsored by Foundations of Healthy Relationships, Marissa's six-week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships actually look and feel like. Learn more by joining the exclusive Instagram community, link in the show notes.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome to Healing From Emotional Abuse
03:00 Introducing Francesca Raoy Lison, founder of Umena
04:00 Emotional abuse as a global pattern: the statistics behind it
05:00 Why the numbers are so high: colonialism, patriarchy, and generational cycles
07:00 How Francesca found this work through psychology and peer education
09:00 Finally having a name for what she experienced, and going public
11:00 What Umena means and the story behind the logo
13:00 Sponsor: Foundations of Healthy Relationships
14:00 Why prevention matters, and why children are especially vulnerable
15:00 Breaking down what "projection" really means
19:00 Inside Umena's model: community educators and school curriculum
21:00 Plans to expand beyond Madagascar
22:00 Sponsor: Foundations of Healthy Relationships
23:00 Building a program designed specifically around emotional abuse
27:00 Francesca's TED Talk, Umena, and a future book project
28:00 Francesca's advice for survivors
30:00 Closing thoughts

If you or someone you know needs support: National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (also available by text: START to 88788)

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