Meet Babs
Babs Walters
As an author and motivational speaker, I work to raise the voices of the family secret keepers. As a survivor of child sexual abuse and domestic violence, I know firsthand how critical it is to break the silence. I am on a mission to help other survivors shine a light into the dark places where secrets grow into deep shame. By turning up the volume and turning off the shame, we can return to our true selves. We are not what happened to us—we are the meaning and purpose we give to what happened to us. My story is not for everyone, but for those who need it, I hear you. I see you. It happened to me too.
Author photos by Elise Campbell Photography
Dear Reader:
It happened to me too.
Growing up in a house filled with anger. When it turned to rage, there was no safe spot to hide. That’s when the fists and belts and guns came out. That’s when the alcohol-filled breath of my parents blasted into my face blaming everyone else for their problems. And then the threats to be obedient, to keep the family secrets were served up for dessert.
I don’t like to remember those days, but the dilemmas and relationships I kept getting myself into brought back the guilt, the shame, and the pain all over again. One step forward. Two steps back. How do we get ahead in a dance like that?
It takes work. And learning new dance steps. That’s where I think I can help you. Help you get through this time in your life.
I shine light in some very dark places. Places many people don’t want to know exist. I’d like to think that I can show you how to, also—I can share my light by shining it directly onto your path.
If you see your own experience in any part of this chaos, or if you are curious about how an ordinary person worked through this lifelong struggle, let me tell you my story.
I believe there is hope in confronting toxic family issues and members. Why? Because I just did it. There is healing in telling, in not hiding from our truth, in understanding the generational trauma that landed on our bodies and psyches.
“I know. Because it happened to me too.”
Yours,
Secret No More
Are you ready to tell your story anonymously? We are collecting shared secrets to inspire you on your own healing journey. Why? Because research shows that holding in a secret can cause physical and mental harm—getting the release of "telling" can free you from the weight of carrying it inside you.