Life In Many Colors Podcast · Survivor Stories · Part 1
Joshua’s Story: Survival, Recovery & Hope
A conversation with Joshua about surviving familial human trafficking, finding support, and rebuilding a life beyond abuse.
With Zella Roze · Published September 28, 2026 · 1 hour 3 minutes
Watch on YouTube and join the conversation ↗
Finding a voice after years of silence
In this episode, Joshua speaks with Zella Roze about the difference between how his family appeared to others and the abuse he says he experienced behind closed doors. He describes growing up in New York and the difficulty of naming those experiences as a child.
The conversation follows his account into adulthood: addiction, sobriety, flashbacks, and the search for people he could trust. Joshua reflects on counseling, his faith, and the relationships he credits with helping him move forward. These are his experiences of recovery, rather than a single path that every survivor is expected to follow.
Joshua also discusses volunteering as a survivor leader with A Courageous Rose. He describes the importance of listening, sharing lived experience, and helping people connect with practical support. His closing message centers on releasing shame and reaching out to someone trustworthy.
What this conversation explores
- Why abuse can remain hidden within a family.
- The experiences of male trafficking survivors and the difficulty of speaking openly.
- Joshua’s reflections on sobriety, trauma, counseling, and faith.
- Survivor leadership, community connection, and asking for help.
Choose a chapter
These links open the corresponding moment on YouTube. You can skip directly to the recovery and support sections.
- 00:00 — Introduction
- 02:37 — Childhood and family life
- 04:20 — Behind closed doors
- 05:33 — Joshua’s account of the abuse
- 13:33 — His account of trafficking
- 42:23 — Surviving and moving forward
- 47:22 — Sobriety, PTSD, and flashbacks
- 49:49 — Dissociation and counseling
- 53:41 — His perspective on forgiveness
- 55:23 — Volunteering with A Courageous Rose
- 57:27 — Awareness and reaching out
- 1:00:31 — Joshua’s message to survivors
In Joshua’s words
Selected transcript excerpts from the interview, with punctuation and repeated words lightly edited for readability. The full conversation and captions are available in the video above.
On finding support in recovery
“I knew I wanted to live clean and sober. I did not want to go back out there again because I knew if I did, I would probably die. I had really wonderful sponsors in the program of recovery.”
On listening to other survivors
“When we try and reach them, we don’t tell them what to do. We share a little bit of our story so they can realize that we know what you’re going through because we went through something similar.”
On shame and asking for help
“When it comes to any kind of abuse, it’s never your fault. Doesn’t matter how you dress, how you speak, how you talk.”
“You’re not alone. Seek somebody to help you.”
Keep the connection going
Life In Many Colors shares survivor stories to build understanding and connection. Explore our work, learn about ways to get involved, or support future conversations.
