Blog

Healing Across Cultural Lines: AAPI Heritage Month and the Journey Toward Inclusive Sexual Assault Awareness  Compiled/Co-authored by: Esther Ko Managing Attorney Amanda Makrogianis Mickelsen Marketing Project Manager Asian American Pacific

Healing Isn’t Linear: What Mental Health Looks Like After Trauma  A Reflection for Mental Health Awareness Month by survivor Jacque Riley & Sarah Marin, Wholeness Collective Coordinator Introduction: Honoring the

The Rights of Victims Matter, Too  By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia April 7–11 marks National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW)—a time to honor survivors, acknowledge those

Healing Together: The Vital Role of Support Groups for Women After Sexual Trauma By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia Breaking the Silence: Why Support Matters

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Love in Action: Beyond Hearts and Roses   By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia "What the world needs now is love, sweet

Stories Untold: Breaking the Silence of Sexual Trauma in the Black Community Erica Legons Counselor/Therapist Maryam Jordan Professional Education & Training Services   Sexual trauma, in all its devastating forms,

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Courage in the Face of Betrayal    By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia "When you're raped, there is shame, and it's not

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Get Ready: 2025 Will Be Big, and We Need You    By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia As the holiday season unfolds

The Resilience of Traditions By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia Traditions form the backbone of our cultural and personal identities. They bring meaning, a sense

Grieving Well This Holiday Season By Erica Legons Counselor/Therapist at Mosaic Georgia When I think about the holidays, I’m flooded with colorful images of family, friends, food, gift-wrapped boxes, cozy

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Growing with Gwinnett: Mosaic Georgia's Next Chapter   By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia If you’ve ever planned an event—for family, friends,

The Signs of Suicide: A Guide to Self-Education By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia Adolescence and young adulthood are a time marked by immense change,

How to Recognize Abuse - and What to Do About It By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia As adults, we have a collective responsibility to

Top Five “Words of Wisdom” From Advocate and Survivor Kevin McNeil  Compiled by Amanda Makrogianis Mickelsen Marketing Project Manager and Copywriter Societal norms dictate that men are supposed to ‘be

Someone’s Gotta Say It   This Month: Try the Walking on Sunshine Challenge By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia This is for all the helpers out there.

How Trauma Shakes Up the 'Puzzle Pieces' of the Brain By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia A transcript of an interview Mosaic Georgia’s Director of

Someone’s Gotta Say It   After Awareness, the Empathy Begins: Tools for Being a Good Ally By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia Monthly ribbons are visible reminders

Making Room for Grief After Trauma By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia One of the often-overlooked responses following a trauma like child sexual abuse or

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Out from the Shadows: The Battle With Taboos and Stigma   By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia If you have circled the

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Drunk Sex or Sexual Assault? Challenging Perceptions: The Drunk Sex Defense Reconsidered By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia How often have you

A Day in the Life of a Counselor at a Child Advocacy Center By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia When I was in graduate school,

Mosaic Georgia Support Groups: Healing Through Community By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia Interpersonal violence, including sexual assault, often decimates a person’s ability to trust

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Teen Years in a Cyberworld Requires Parent Re-boot   By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia A friend who is helping raise his

Someone’s Gotta Say It   When Following Becomes Obsessive: Stalking   By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia “He just won’t accept that our relationship is over. I’ve

The Devastating Wake of Childhood Sexual Abuse By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia Childhood sexual abuse leaves a continual path of destruction long after the

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Kindred Spirits Work to End Gender-Based Violence Around the World   By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia "The value of these exchanges

Abuse Occurs in Ways We Least Expect: Keeping Children Safe at the Holidays By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia As the holidays are upon us,

From the Outside Looking In: Top 3 Reasons Mosaic Georgia is on My Giving Tuesday Shortlist By Amanda Makrogianis Mickelsen Marketing Project Manager Consultant Some causes are loud. And some

Someone's Gotta Say It... Nurturing Gratitude: A Lighthouse in Stormy Waters By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia "Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful

The Art of Compassion: Mosaic Masterpieces Awaits You!  By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia Picture this: A quiet evening, you're cozily settled in, deeply engrossed in that

True Love After Trauma – Safety Tips for DV Survivors Seeking Healthy Relationships  By Ashia Gallo Wholeness Collective Collaborator Domestic violence (DV) is a soul-wrenching issue that affects millions of

When Love Hurts: A Look at the Realities of Intimate Partner Violence By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia What is the difference between intimate partner

Someone’s Gotta Say It From Awkward to Empowered: Rethinking “the Talk” By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia Do you remember the whirlwind of emotions and questions that

National Suicide Prevention Month: The Impact of Sexual Violence on Mental Health By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia “I feel hopeless.” “I just don’t know

Toxic Wellness? How Mosaic Georgia’s Wellness Program Breaks Stereotypes By Ashia Gallo Wholeness Collective Coordinator at Mosaic Georgia WELLNESS falls among the countless misused (and misunderstood) ‘buzz words’ in our

Someone’s Gotta Say It   Insights from 30 Years at the Forefront of Medical Care for Victims of Sexual Harms   By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia

Secrets vs. Surprises: The Danger of Secrets By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager “Don’t tell  ______. It’s a secret.”  “I’ll only tell you if you can keep it a

The Link Between “The Talk” and Kid’s Safety: Discussing Sex and Bodily Autonomy with Our Children By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia If I were

Someone's Gotta Say It Surviving Sexual Assault in the LGBTQ+ Community: Mosaic Georgia Extends a Warm Welcome, Support and Care By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia June

Kevin McNeil: Daring Men to Ditch the Mask By Ashia Gallo Wholeness Collective Coordinator at Mosaic Georgia An interview with Child Advocate Kevin McNeil and Wholeness Collective Coordinator Ashia Gallo,

SANE Spotlight: Remember the SANEs during National Nurses Week By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia Mosaic Georgia SANEs in action. From left to right: Melissa Drinkard, Kathy

Gen Z And Self-Esteem: The Kids Are (Gonna Be) Alright By Ashia Gallo Wholeness Collective Coordinator at Mosaic Georgia May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month! What better time to raise

Trauma and the Brain: A Look at How Traumatic Events Shape Memory and Perception By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia At the age of 13,

Amy Lewis – Yoga and Sacred Space By Ashia Gallo Wholeness Collective Coordinator at Mosaic Georgia Amy Lewis has been drawn to spirituality since she was a child. Born in

Someone’s Gotta Say It 3 Steps to Protect Our Kids from Abusers: On-line and In-person By Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director at Mosaic Georgia A friend used to be a

Why Kids Don’t Disclose Abuse: Ambivalence By Kendall Wolz Mental Health and Wellness Manager at Mosaic Georgia am·biv·a·lence /amˈbiv(ə)ləns/ noun 1. the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas

Mayra Paradas: Life is a Dance Women's History Month Feature An interview with Dance Teacher Mayra Paradas and Ashia Gallo, MPA, Wholeness Collective Coordinator Mayra Paradas is the passionate, bi-lingual

Someone's Gotta Say It: Sexual Abuse & Disabilities: Myths & Realities By Marina Sampanes Peed, Executive Director of Mosaic Georgia March is Disabilities Awareness Month, so it is a good

Reclaiming Safety Through Counseling By Kendall Wolz In November 2022, Mosaic Georgia relaunched on-site counseling services for individuals and families who have experienced sexual violence. We are grateful to offer

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month: How Can Adults Help? Co-authored by Marina Sampanes Peed and Amanda Makrogianis Mickelsen One in three teens experiences verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual

The Healing Souls of Black Folk By: Ashia Gallo My interest in wellness and healing really exploded during my time living in Mozambique, an African nation along the southeast border

Faces of Mosaic Georgia Marina Sampanes Peed Executive Director Fun Fact: Marina performed a stand-up set at The Punchline in Atlanta many moons ago.  Marina Peed has served as the Executive

Wholeness Collective – A Wellness Program Launch   By: Ashia Gallo, MPA At Mosaic Georgia, we play a very sensitive role in the lives of the clients we support. From

Marina's Interview with CFNEG   Check out a Q & A with Mosaic Georgia Executive Director, Marina Peed. Marina talks about the services that Mosaic Georgia offers, the future of

Mosaic Georgia on the Radio   Mosaic Georgia leaders sat down with Business Radio X to talk through the services that we offer to the community and who it is

Why Awareness Matters   “I’ve learned throughout the years that no one wants to talk about what I do for a living. Getting folks energized about sexual violence prevention is

People Helping People: A Daily Dose of Courage   Courage: the ability to undertake an overwhelming difficulty or pain despite the unavoidable presence of fear. What’s a kid to do?

The Bigger Picture of Recovery: Working with CSEC Clients    Spring is in the air and Mosaic Georgia is ready! The weather is gradually warming up. COVID-19 vaccines are rolling

Why are Sexual Assaults Under-Reported?   Most people will call the police if someone breaks into their home or steals something from their vehicle. Yet this is not the first

2021, Here We Come!   Out with the old, in with the new! As ~tragic~ as it was to say goodbye to 2020 (yes, we are being sarcastic), 2021 is

A Brighter Future During Uncertain Times   Dear supporters, community partners and beloved clients, past and present,  Hello! As we enter the 5th month of COVID-19 in our midst, the

Introducing the Crisis Support and Empowerment Fund!   Is 2020 over yet? Between the COVID-19 pandemic and community consciousness movements surrounding violence against black and brown people that have shaken

Our 24-Hour Crisis Line   Survivors of sexual assault may experience many different emotions after the incident. Each individual processes and responds to the trauma differently. Often there is the

Solutions for Survivors/Victims of Crimes: the Criminal Justice System, Civil Legal Remedies, and Non-legal Assistance   Helpful responses to sexual assault and sexual abuse can take many forms. The criminal

What is Volunteering? By: Raheela, Administrative Volunteer   Essentially, it is donating your time and energy to help an individual or organization. Personally, I believe it is one of the

Change Happens Here By: Marina Peed My kids will tell you that I like to discuss uncomfortable topics. The best way to address a problem is to push past the

A Daily Dose of Courage   Courage: the ability to undertake an overwhelming difficulty or pain despite the unavoidable presence of fear. What’s a kid to do? We tell children

Did You Know?   Did you know that in America every 92 seconds someone is sexually assaulted? Or that people between ages 12 and 24 are at higher risk for

Mosaic Georgia experienced major growth and changes in 2018. In one year, we have undergone a name change, increased in staff size, and have increased the amount of services provided.

Some people who have not experienced personal violence wonder aloud “Why don’t they report it?” A careful look at how society reacts to reported sex crimes may provide some clues.

We provide a caring environment where victims of sexual assault are provided services and resources to regain safety and security in their lives.

We help to restore wholeness through our nurturing staff and by connecting those affected by sexual assault with support groups and counseling services.

In times of crisis, Mosaic Georgia helps to take away the confusion of the criminal justice system by providing legal advocacy on civil matters arising from sexual assault.