April Tribe Giauque Episode
In the latest episode of the Empowerography Podcast, my guest is April Tribe Giauque. April T Giauque is a published author & empowerment speaker. Her first published work, Pinpoints of Light: Escaping the Abyss of Abuse is her heroine story of escaping abuse with her five children. Her second, Out of Darkness, is her healing journey that followed. She has experience in developmental editing, line editing, writing coaching & Ghostwriting. She empowers women to move from trauma to truth and darkness to light by helping them heal through their story and share it boldly through writing and speaking In this episode we discuss being an author, abuse, trauma, empowerment, family, struggle self-worth, self-love and shame shadow.
My name is April Tribe Giauque. I grew up hiking Utah’s mountains in a beautiful family, and I love my Heavenly Father. To share about my life, I was one who observed others all around me and how they responded to things, and I would fall quickly into my imagination as a place of adventure and fun. I felt loved by my parents, but it was tougher to find acceptance with my siblings. However, I enjoyed spending time with my dad and learning how to work hard. My mom involved sports and music in learning work ethic, set goals, and find something to do. I enjoyed taking my tumbling talents to the next level.
When I was eight years old, I was taken advantage of by a neighbor and sexually molested because of my tumbling talents. It threw me into a tailspin of believing his lies that “ it was my fault and that I would never be lovable.” I fell into a trap that held me by a poison I would drink daily: pleasing, performing, and perfecting.
The three P’s did not define me, but rather threw me into conflict. I knew God loved me but my negative voice, the Shame Shadow©, was so loud in my head that I would often follow that. In turn, I began to build a Comfort Cage around me built out of my lies, doubt, and fear. Old Shamy would tell me over and over again, “you are too much,” and “you are will never be loved—properly.” And yet I loved God and wanted His help.
I Married, and eventually, that marriage fell into the “abyss of abuse.” All I wanted was to have a large family and to have me and my husband make it through the ups and downs of life as a team. But when your teammate is riddled with mental illness, addiction, and fear, abuse results. My five children in that marriage suffered abuse as well. There were many layers of challenges, such as learning disorders and autism. I was in the fight for my light to get them out. Getting out of that felt impossible. But there was a Pinpoint of Light in the depths of the darkness that helped me to find a way out of the abuse. I discovered a key to all of that (you’ll have to read my books “Pinpoints of Light” and “Out of Darkness” to find out how I did it).
Once escaping abuse, I began a healing journey. That journey led me to a new marriage, having four more children. Happiness and safety blessed our lives, but it was not without challenges. My sixth and eight children were born deaf. So, we began another journey of learning and healing. All in all, I had a healed and grown in so many ways, but one—knowing, really knowing that my Heavenly Father loved me and that I didn’t have to prove it. I had to battle the Shame Shadow© and won on many fronts except for that one.
There is more to that story, but that is why I am talking to Brad today. Please know this; Darkness disorients, light illuminates. Which one will you amplify?
Website - https://www.apriltribegiauque.com
IG - https://www.instagram.com/aprilgiauque