Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1275

Tonight's special guest is Angela Wright-Lacey, a California based Doctoral Student at Argosy University who's doing a research study on "Forgiveness: Pastoral Counseling, Women, Christian, and Jewish faith Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse." The study examines the correlation between pastoral counseling and forgiveness among Christian and Jewish faith women survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) who are not undergoing any counseling or abuse at the time of the study. The surveys are be designed to measure volunteers responses to open-ended questions and level of forgiveness. An aspiring counselor, life coach and motivational speaker, Angela Wright provides inspiration to both men and women everywhere she goes, giving life strategies that can help individuals reach their goals and objectives. She says, "Gowing up in a faith-based home where believing in God (faith) and using the word of God as a direction in our lives has helped structure my belief and value system. I love and have a passion for hurting individuals especially people that were touched as a child." Angela wasn't sexually abused herself, but has family and friends that were. "I noticed that even in the church children were sexually abused. My experience in the church has been as a young people's leader and teacher. It is during those times I noticed young people struggling needing help." Angela became a mentor for at-risk teens, and later started a women's group where, she learned, many individuals had been abused. She's currently completing a graduate degree in Pastoral Community Counseling. "My dissertation topic addresses the issue of child sexual abuse. I am taking a closer look at my purpose which is to empower and help individuals transcend their pain into fulfilling their purpose."