Self-Reclaimed

🌟 Advocate Spotlight | Julia Gardziel 🌟

This April, we’re honored to spotlight Julia Gardziel (she/her), Pole Dance Instructor with Pole Icons, as part of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign: From Chaos to Action: Reclaiming Our Story.

Julia brings fierce passion and embodied empowerment to her community work, creating spaces where survivors and advocates can reconnect with their bodies, celebrate joy, and reclaim their stories through movement.

Join Julia for an All Levels Pole Class + Clothing Swap THIS SUNDAY!

✨ Pole Class (All Levels) + Clothing Swap ✨
📅 Sunday, April 27, 2025
⏰ Pole Class: 4:30–6:00 PM; Clothing Swap: 6:00 PM until late
📍 The Brass Ring Chicago | 2511 W North Ave, Chicago, IL
🔗 RSVP: link in our IG profile or visit

No experience needed—just bring yourself and your powerful story.

Stick around after class for a Spring Cleaning Clothing Swap, featuring custom chainstitch and embellishments by Mister Baby!

🌟 Advocate Spotlight | Kathy Tan 🌟

This April, we’re honored to highlight Kathy Tan (she/hers), founder and CEO of Amalu Coaching, as part of our SAAM Campaign.

is not only a committed member of Self-Reclaimed, but also a dedicated leader on a mission to empower individuals to live unapologetically, lead authentically, and become the best versions of themselves they can be. At the heart of her approach is the belief that embodiment is not just a healing tool—it is a reclamation of self, story, and aliveness. Learn more about Kathy’s incredible background at amalucoaching.com

This SAAM, Kathy is offering a transformative 3-part movement series: Embodied Reclamation. This trauma-informed container invites participants to move at the pace of their own bodies, reconnect with the nervous system, and explore empowerment through embodied presence.

🌟 We invite our community to experience this powerful series and support survivor-centered spaces for embodied transformation.

🌀 EMBODIED RECLAMATION
📅 WHEN: Tuesday April 22 | 8:00-9:15 PM CST (6:00-7:15 PST)
📍 LOCATION: Online (Zoom)
🔗 REGISTER: Via the link in our bio

🌟 Advocate Spotlight | SAAM 2025 🌟

This April, we’re honored to highlight Mary Kethya Khuon (she/her), Writer & Director of Cloud & Bunny Short Film, as part of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign: From Chaos to Action: Reclaiming Our Story.

Mary is not only a gifted filmmaker and storyteller—she is a survivor, a truth-teller, and a powerful advocate for healing through art. Her creative direction invites courage, tenderness, and transformation to coexist on stage and screen. Check out her full bio on the Serendipitous link in our IG profile!

This SAAM, Mary is co-creating something special: Serendipitous: Where Standup Comedy Meets Vulnerable Storytelling, a one-of-a-kind in-person experience that blends laughter and lived truth to foster connection and catharsis. Hosted in collaboration with Self-Reclaimed, this event reminds us that joy, pain, and presence can all belong in the same room.

🌟  “I believe in empowering survivors to take up space and shine their light in the world. Self Reclaim gives survivors a safe space to feel deeply and express themselves in a way that reminds humanity we are greater than the bad things that have happened to us and are meant to live a beautiful life.” – Mary

We invite you to witness this bold, brilliant night and stand with survivors reclaiming their stories—with humor, heart, and humanity.

🎤 SERENDIPITOUS: STANDUP & STORYTELLING
📅 WHEN: Friday, April 26 | 7:00–9:30 PM; Doors Open @ 6:30 PM
📍 LOCATION: Uptown Taproom, 1265 West Wilson Avenue Chicago, IL 60640
🔗 REGISTER: via the link in our IG profile or our website at selfreclaimed.org/saam2025