Marlee Liss | Award-Winning Speaker, Survivor Advocate, Somatic Educator, and Author
From Shame to Empowerment: Rethinking Justice for Sexual Violence
Interview Description:
When Marlee’s sexual assault case became the first in North America to conclude with restorative justice through the courts, she redefined what healing and accountability could look like.
Instead of pursuing a punitive trial, she chose compassion-centered justice — a choice that transformed her understanding of power, self-trust, and forgiveness.
In this deeply moving conversation, Marlee shares how shame can evolve into strength, how listening to the body guides authentic healing, and why compassion — even in the face of harm — can be the ultimate act of self-empowerment.
True justice starts within. When we release shame and reclaim our voices, we don’t just heal ourselves — we model what it means to rise with grace, compassion, and courage.
About the Speaker
Marlee Liss, RSW, is a somatic educator, author, survivor advocate and sparkle-loving lesbian Jewish feminist. She made history in the justice system when her sexual assault case became the 1st in North America to conclude with restorative justice through the courts. Since then, she has supported thousands in learning survivor-centered care, somatic healing and violence prevention. Marlee's work has been featured in Forbes, Huff Post, Buzzfeed, the Mel Robbins Show and more. As an award-winning speaker, she's delivered keynotes for: National Sexual Assault Conference, Vanderbilt University, Justice as Trauma conference, Trauma & Recovery Conference, Women's Mental Health Conference at Yale and more. Her story is currently being made into a documentary directed by Kelsey Darragh.
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