A Mother's Worst Nightmare Became Her Mission: Making Sexual Assault Reporting Less Traumatic
Summary
What if the room a survivor is asked to sit in after a sexual assault could make the difference between being believed and being dismissed? In this episode, Mandi sits down with Tracy Matheson, founder of Project Beloved, to talk about the soft interview rooms her nonprofit builds inside police departments across the country and why trauma-informed environments change outcomes for survivors and investigations alike.
Tracy shares the story behind Project Beloved's founding and its two core programs: the soft interview rooms that make reporting less traumatic, and the Beloved Bundles that help survivors walk out of hospitals with dignity after a forensic exam. It's a conversation about grief, advocacy, and what real systemic change can look like.
Resources
Connect with Tracy Matheson:
Website: ProjectBeloved.org
LinkedIn: Tracy Matheson
Connect with Mandi:
Website: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com
Take the Free Intuition Quiz: WomenAwareAndPrepared.com/Quiz
Instagram: @WomenAwareAndPrepared
LinkedIn: Mandi Pratt
TIMESTAMPS
[03:00] What a soft interview room is and why it matters
[08:00] The elements that make a room trauma-informed
[13:00] Tracy shares her daughter, Molly Jane's story
[17:30] Why Project Beloved waits for law enforcement agencies to come to them
[22:00] How Tracy's soft interview room idea is confirmed by forensic psychologist
[25:00] How the nonprofit is funded and how they support survivors
[29:00] The Beloved Bundle: clothing and hygiene kits for survivors at hospital or PD
[34:00] Megan Guttrum's became the next victim and failures that let the perpetrator escalate
[37:00] Follow Project Beloved 2.0 to see the interview rooms, bundles and see how to support
The primary purpose of the Women Aware and Prepared Podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute advice or services. Please use common sense for your own situation.
