Born from lived experience.
Built for survivors.
A survivor-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit building a global healing ecosystem for survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
Brianna Michelle
Founder & Executive Director
Built from lived experience.
Built for every survivor.
Brianna Michelle is the founder and executive director of Voices Beyond Assault — a survivor, advocate, and builder of ecosystems of care. Her journey began not in a boardroom, but in the aftermath of her own experience with sexual violence.
After surviving, Brianna spent years navigating a landscape of care that was fragmented, often retraumatizing, and rarely built with survivors truly in mind.
In 2022, she founded Voices Beyond Assault with a singular belief: that survivors deserve not just crisis support, but a full ecosystem of healing — clinical care, restorative experiences, community connection, and a voice in the systems that affect their lives.
Under her leadership, VBA has grown to serve over 500 survivors across 5+ states — building a model of care that is both deeply human and rigorously accountable.
"The systems were helpful in parts but disconnected as a whole. I knew there had to be a better way — and I decided to build it."
— Brianna Michelle
Why VBA exists
Survivors of sexual and domestic violence face not one crisis, but many — and the systems meant to help are often fragmented, inaccessible, or retraumatizing.
VBA was built to be that better way: a survivor-led, clinician-supported healing ecosystem where every person receives dignified, coordinated, whole-person care.
To build a global healing ecosystem for survivors — providing dignified, trauma-informed care through therapy, programs, retreats, and community.
A world where every survivor has access to care that is safe, holistic, and human — where healing is not a privilege but a right.
Our Goals
Goal 01
Expand Access to Care
Remove financial, geographic, and systemic barriers to therapy and healing services for survivors at every income level.
Goal 02
Build Healing Communities
Create safe, joyful, survivor-led spaces where connection, belonging, and collective restoration can happen.
Goal 03
Drive Systems Change
Advocate for policy reform, train providers in trauma-informed practice, and hold systems accountable.
Goal 04
Center Survivor Leadership
Survivors are not just served by VBA — they lead it. Survivor voices shape programs, governance, and growth.
Goal 05
Amplify Survivor Voice
Develop a speakers bureau placing survivor advocates in schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and policy forums.
Goal 06
Build Dedicated Healing Spaces
Develop purpose-built retreat and program centers designed entirely around survivor dignity.
Goal 07
Expand Reach Through Technology & Strategic Partnerships
Launch a survivor-centered digital platform to extend care globally, while deepening partnerships with universities, licensed clinicians, and first responder organizations trained in trauma-informed practice.
Our core values
Survivor-Centered
Every decision is guided by and accountable to survivors. Survivor voices are not a footnote — they are the foundation.
Trauma-Informed
We operate with deep understanding of trauma's impact. Our care is grounded in safety, choice, collaboration, and trustworthiness.
Ethically Governed
Highest standards of transparency and financial accountability. EIN public, financials available upon request.
Inclusive by Design
Committed to cultural humility, accessibility, and building care that works for everyone.
Evidence-Informed
Programs grounded in public health frameworks, mental health best practices, and ongoing outcome evaluation.
Community-Rooted
Healing happens in relationship — with clinicians, with peers, and with communities. We build ecosystems, not silos.
Built milestone by milestone
Brianna Michelle establishes Voices Beyond Assault in Los Angeles as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — the first survivor-led healing ecosystem of its kind in the region.
VBA launches its first healing circles, somatic arts therapy sessions, and survivor retreats — reaching its first 100 survivors across Los Angeles.
VBA extends educational and awareness programming to Cape Town, South Africa — establishing its first international footprint and affirming that gender-based violence is global, and so is the commitment to healing.
VBA expands to five pillars of programming — adding clinical therapy, care coordination, the Speaking Bureau, and advocacy work. Institutional partnerships grow to 20+ organizations.
VBA reaches a milestone — over 500 survivors supported across 5+ states and 2 countries, with 15+ licensed clinicians, 20+ programs, and a Candid Bronze Transparency seal.
A first formal impact report. Independent program evaluation. Expansion to new cities and campus partnerships. A dedicated healing space. VBA is building the infrastructure to match its ambition.
Why survivor-led is a methodology, not just a value
Survivor leadership is not a branding choice — it is an evidence-informed design decision. Organizations led by people with lived expertise consistently produce better outcomes, stronger community trust, and more durable programs than those designed without it.
Survivors understand what retraumatizes, what heals, and what systems miss — from the inside. That knowledge cannot be replicated by clinical training alone. At VBA, it is built into every program design decision.
Survivors are more likely to access care from organizations they trust — and trust is built by seeing themselves represented in leadership. VBA's survivor-led model is not incidental to our reach. It is the reason for it.
When survivors lead, organizations are accountable not just to funders and boards — but to the communities they serve. That dual accountability produces better governance, more honest evaluation, and programs that actually work.
How VBA is governed
Voices Beyond Assault is governed by an independent Board of Directors responsible for organizational oversight, financial accountability, and strategic direction. The board operates independently of day-to-day management and provides the institutional checks that any credible nonprofit requires.
All clinical programming is facilitated by licensed, credentialed clinicians operating under professional ethical standards. VBA maintains trauma-informed facilitation standards across all programs and is building toward a formal clinical advisory structure as the organization scales.
For full accountability details — financial standing, impact metrics, and transparency reporting —
VBA in the world
Recognized by Candid with the Bronze Transparency 2026 seal — awarded to nonprofits that demonstrate commitment to openness and public accountability.
VBA and its community partners recognized at the LA County Department of Public Health for contribution to survivor health and community wellness outcomes.
For media inquiries, interview requests, or press opportunities, please contact our team directly. We welcome coverage that centers survivor dignity and trauma-informed storytelling.
Media inquiries → info@voicesbeyondassault.orgThe people behind the work
VBA is built by survivors, advocates, and mission-driven professionals — each bringing deep expertise and personal commitment to healing.
Ready to be part of something
that changes everything?
Whether you are a survivor seeking support, a donor who believes in this work, a partner ready to collaborate, or someone who simply wants to show up — there is a place for you here.
Find your pathway to healing — confidential, dignified, and at your pace.
Every gift directly funds survivor access to therapy, retreats, and community care.
Build healing systems with us — ethical, measurable, and survivor-centered.
Show up for survivors in the way only you can — your skills, your time, your heart.