Inspired by Father Richard Rohr’s words, “If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it onto others,” Dr. Linda Olson has dedicated her life to making a difference to those who grew up with Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV).
Dr. Olson is a licensed Psychologist and Psychotherapist, as well as a victim advocate, with over 30 years in private practice specializing in domestic violence, abuse, and trauma. Dr. Olson has a dual Masters in Clinical Social Work and Clinical Psychology from the University of Iowa and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology, Argosy University, Atlanta. Her postdoctoral work has focused on developing treatment programs to those who experience Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV) and struggle with its impact.
Dr. Olson is a Board Member of the Childhood Domestic Violence Association and is the Chapter Founder and President of the Association’s Georgia Chapter. She has dedicated her life to raising awareness of Childhood Domestic Violence (CDV) and helping deliver the solutions to those affected, in memory of her two sisters, who she believes lost their lives because they were unable to overcome that impact.
Growing up with CDV herself, Linda has a personal understanding of the profound feelings of loss, hopelessness and feeling alone that are associated with childhood trauma, and has experienced firsthand the cycle of violence, fear and uncertainty that ALL too often persists for those who have had such experiences.
For Linda and her 5 siblings, growing up meant experiencing CDV almost daily. Like many who grow up in similar homes, Linda formed a shell of shame and denial. Like many, she mimicked her parents’ example in her own abusive marriage. Her siblings, like her, were impacted in profound ways. Two of her younger sisters ultimately lost their lives to that impact: one was killed by an ex-boyfriend and the other died homeless. After these tragic losses, Linda had an epiphany that she too was perpetuating the lies learned in childhood.
As a psychologist with a thorough understanding of childhood adversity, Dr. Olson could no longer deny the impact of CDV on her, her family, and her three sons. She gathered courage to leave her abusive marriage and embarked upon her own personal journey to overcome all the lies learned in childhood, to heal, and to help others do the same. It is this therapeutic journey that she now shares with countless others.
In the work she has done with children and adults, Linda has created a movement to help break the cycle of suffering and pain that endures within trauma victims, to stop the violence before it starts, and to turn hope into healing. She is extremely passionate about helping each client develop the tools needed to gain hope, achieve their dreams and escape the cycle of abuse. She tells those she works with, “Be courageous, be victorious and, most importantly, reach for your full potential. That is the final step to breaking the cycle of abuse, and it will change your life and the lives of your loved ones forever.”