Kait Gannon is the Founder and CEO of Mezzo Allies, Inc., which raises awareness for family-controlled human trafficking and child sexual abuse. She is a survivor of family-controlled commercial child sexual exploitation and shares her experience through public speaking and hosting the podcast The Ugly Truth About the Girl Next Door. With a background in social work, Kait is trained in suicide prevention and was the program director for a public health clinic in Buffalo, New York.

Laurie Krull is the Clinical Director of Mezzo Allies, Inc., the co-host of The Ugly Truth About the Girl Next Door podcast, and a licensed clinical social worker. With over 30 years of clinical experience, she specializes in foster care, adoption, and trauma. Laurie began her career as a social worker with child protective services before working in an outpatient children’s mental health ward.

In this episode…

Sex trafficking isn’t talked about enough, as most people remain unaware of the magnitude of abuse taking place throughout the world, believing it’s relegated to minority groups and third-world countries. Yet much of this trafficking occurs within the family unit, as 82% of survivors report parents or extended family members as primary offenders. How can you educate yourself and become a fierce advocate for child sex trafficking victims?

A family home is supposed to be a safe haven, but for Kait Gannon, it was a recurring nightmare. Beginning before the age of four and continuing well into adulthood, Kait was sexually trafficked by her parents, grandparents, and uncles — a mere pawn in a generations-long organized trafficking scheme. After receiving threatening messages following repeated attempts to escape, Kait connected with trauma social worker Laurie Krull, who helped her reconcile the compartmentalized abuse with other areas of her life, leading to support initiatives for child sexual abuse victims. Through rigorous training programs and volunteering with mission-based organizations, you can become an advocate these survivors need.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston welcomes Kait Gannon and Laurie Krull of Mezzo Allies, Inc., to talk about family-organized child sex trafficking. Together, they uncover abuse survivors’ compartmentalized worlds, how to reconcile prolonged trauma, and the three levels of public understanding in human trafficking.

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