Untangled

Initiative

This tangible object acted as an anchor for my mind and kept me grounded as I faced my abuser in court.
- Madison

The Untangled Initiative is inspired by the journey of Madison, a domestic violence survivor who found strength through a simple acupressure ring we provided during her legal battles. Madison had deconstructed her wire ring by the end of court, but she decided to keep it on her mantle as a symbol of her resilience and strength.

What Is Untangled?

Through this initiative, we provide our Untangled Bags to help survivors get through difficult moments on their path to justice and healing.  They include therapeutic and self-care items designed to reduce anxiety, improve focus, and enhance communication and rapport with practitioners. These tools help victims express themselves during critical, often retraumatizing moments such as investigator interviews, lawyer consultations, medical exams, and court or Title IX hearings.  These tools empower survivors through difficult moments and enable professionals to build better relationships and cases. 

When helping professionals offer these tools on location, they signal that they care.  When survivors feel cared for and have tools to help them effectively communicate and stay engaged with the gruelling legal process, professionals can provide better services and build winnable cases.  Better, trauma-informed investigations lead to more prosecutions, which leads to increased reporting and community safety.

These [tools] bridge the gap between trauma and communication, allowing survivors to express themselves when words are difficult. It seems to help calm their nerves and allow them to focus on sharing their stories, which is crucial for our investigations.
- Officer

Learn More

    • Reduce victim anxiety

    • Enhance communication and rapport

    • Support positive case outcomes

    • Therapeutic sensory objects are made available to victims during investigations, medical exams, and prosecutions.

    • Supports regulating the nervous system and improves focus, communication, and cognitive functioning in stressful situations. Ogden & Fisher (2015), Levine (2010)

    • Acupressure rings

    • Sensory stickers

    • Fidget tools

    • Tissues

    • Mints

    • Essential Oil Wipes

    • Police stations & vehicles

    • Courtrooms

    • Medical environments

    • Advocacy centers

Untangling trauma is like navigating through a tangled web of emotions and memories; it's messy, confusing, and overwhelming - especially when having to do so under extremely stressful situations like in a court of law. Having a tangible object to channel that emotion into acts like an anchor for the mind, keeping you grounded as you untangle the mess.
- Madison