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OUR MISSION
Restoring balance for survivors of human sex trafficking through free, accessible natural health care.
OUR VISION
A world where no survivor heals alone.
OUR STORY
San Diego acupuncturist Angela Yvonne started The Pain Free project in 2015 with a mission to help more people lead pain free lives. The idea came to her out of the realization that acupuncture, while being one of the most effective and noninvasive ways to offer relief, is often not covered by health insurance. Furthermore, this service is often out of reach for many vulnerable individuals in our community.
In 2017, The Pain Free Project shifted it’s focus to work with one of San Diego’s most vulnerable communities, survivors of Human Sex Trafficking. It is our goal to help these brave survivors heal their wounds and find footing to brighter futures through access to holistic medicine.
OUR STORY
San Diego acupuncturist Angela Yvonne started The Pain Free project in 2015 with a mission to help more people lead pain free lives. The idea came to her out of the realization that acupuncture, while being one of the most effective and noninvasive ways to offer relief, is often not covered by health insurance. Furthermore, this service is often out of reach for many vulnerable individuals in our community.
In 2017, The Pain Free Project shifted it’s focus to work with one of San Diego’s most vulnerable communities, survivors of Human Sex Trafficking. It is our goal to help these brave survivors heal their wounds and find footing to brighter futures through access to holistic medicine.
MEET OUR BOARD
Angela Yvonne L.Ac. – Founder, Executive Director
Angela Yvonne is the founder and Executive Director of The Pain Free Project, as well as a Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist. Her previous work as a Social worker exposed her to several populations that suffer from stress, trauma and anxiety. She now uses acupuncture, herbs, massage and supplements in her private practice to alleviate these symptoms. Angela specializes in women’s health and hormone balance, and has a special interest in anxiety management.
ErIn Lininger – PRESIDENT
Erin Lininger is a Supervising Investigator at Children’s Legal Services of San Diego. Erin works with attorneys to advocate for children and youth who are subject to abuse and neglect proceedings in San Diego Juvenile Dependency Court. She is part of the CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children) team within her organization and in July 2019 will be supervising and coordinating the new CSEC Case Manager program.
DR. Marni Greenberg – TREASURER
Marni Greenberg, Psy.D. adopts a holistic method as a Clinical Psychologist, believing that mind and body can work together for purposes of overall wellness. She works collaboratively with clients to explore the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy tools, such as mindfulness, that can help to increase self-awareness, foster self-compassion, and heal from the inside out. She is a beginning level student of Somatic Experiencing, a trauma treatment method that facilitates healing through the nervous system.
Jewel Hayes L.Ac. – Secretary
Jewel Hayes is A licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. Through the use of acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, aromatherpy, nutrition, and lifestyle changes, Jewel strives to offer her clients relief as well as tools to empower themselves and take control of their healing.
Lauren Kominkiewicz
Lauren Kominkiewicz is an attorney working for children involved in the juvenile dependency system within San Diego County. Her background is in social work serving survivors and victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as practicing in medical and clinical settings. Lauren is eager to bring her knowledge to help The Pain Free Project provide new and exciting ways to combat the impact of trafficking on survivors.
Brenda Goodell HHP
Brenda Goodell is a birth worker with 20 years experience in the field of ceremonial self-care. She has an active pregnancy massage practice in Banker’s Hill called Going ga-ga. I live with my spouse Randy and two children, Darby and Ian.
Karena Doan
Karena Doan is a LCSW who has been working with adolescents in the school setting as a Counselor for the last twelve years. She loves helping young people in their process of self-discovery and helping them get to the next phase of their lives.
April Stickelman
Over 15 years experience in the wellness industry as a massage practitioner and yoga teacher, April lives for the wellbeing of life on this planet, and this passion shows through all work she produces. She is driven by the vision of a world thriving with health and prosperity, starting with individual contribution to family and supportive communities.
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The Reality
TOP 8 CITIES
San Diego ranks as one of the top 8 cities in the US for sex trafficking. San Diego is also the leader in community awareness around these issues.
$810 IN REVENUE
San Diego sex trafficking has over $810 million in revenue every year (and a staggering $150 billion dollar industry worldwide).
8,830-11,772 GIRLS
We estimate somewhere between 8,830-11,772 San Diego residents are targeted yearly, the vast majority of which are American women.
RECRUITING AT SCHOOLS
Human trafficking preys on the vulnerable. active in middle and high schools, malls, parks, on public transportation, and at parties.
13: AVERAGE AGE
The average age of these victims is 12-14 years old, and many are kept in captivity, abused, sold, and coerced for years.
FROM ABUSIVE HOMES
Many of these teens were already in unsafe situations, having been sexually assaulted as a child or leaving other types of abusive homes.
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Believing in a Better Future
We believe in supporting our community’s survivors.
We believe in supporting our community’s survivors.
The tragic circumstances of sex trafficking are largely unknown but to those who endure it. Thankfully, San Diego is a leader in community awareness and collaboration to combat this issue, change legislation and provide services to survivors. We hope to be a major player in this changing landscape and help to shape a better future for survivors in our community. The practitioners at the Pain Free Project believe that every person on the path to recovery from human sex trafficking should have access to holistic services. These groups often have trouble accessing the very services that could put them on the path to success and we want to change that.
We believe in the power of noninvasive medicine.
Noninvasive medicine like acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage therapy play a major part in the recovery of these victims. As practitioners, we have seen the life-changing effects that these therapies can have on individuals suffering from trauma. Issues like PTSD, anxiety, depression, pain, and sleep disturbances not only greatly effect the daily lives of these survivors, but are detrimental to their long-term health and recuperation. We believe that by helping to heal these survivors, we will begin to heal our community at large.
We believe that body therapy can have positive, lasting effects.
These therapies help to interrupt the effects of trauma and to create new patterns of calm and safety. We are not only working to relieve the survivors of physical pain, but to rewire the entire nervous system. We believe everyone deserves a chance to heal and feel whole.
We believe healing is a journey.
We understand that the body and mind needs time and ongoing support to make lasting change. This is why we advocate for ongoing care with our practitioners so that survivors can build a trusting, comfortable relationship. Our practitioners are trained in the nuances of treating sexual trauma and provide a safe patient-practitioner relationship for survivors.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
The Pain Free Project would not exist without the generous, supportive community of practitioners, organizations, and neighbors like you.
Become a sponsor.
Become a volunteer.
Help with a financial gift.
