Survivor, Path to Thriving Publishing Announcement, 4-H, Survivor Lesson and more!

Thank you so much for subscribing to stay in the loop on book project Survivor not Victim! 

Mission

"Survivor not Victim" is committed to raising awareness, educating, providing encouragement and empowerment, and equipping individuals, groups, and programs to support others in moving from victim to survivor to thriver.

Publishing Announcement!

After months of querying, networking with other authors, talking with multiple publishers, and even talking with a lawyer, I am excited to announce my book(s) will be published by  Inner Peace Press. 

Inner Peace Press is a small local traditional publisher based out of Eau Claire, WI. I have chosen this publisher as I can keep the authenticity, artsy, educational component and creative expression while implementing the boundaries I want in my regular day-to-day life. 

We anticipate publication early 2027! 

Stay tuned for more details! 

4-H Pups and Learning Program (PAL)

I am so excited to have been a part of the 4-H and Can Do Canine Partnership pilot program last year. We are excited to be partnering with Can Do Canines again. For more information about how you can get involved, visit here. 

Creating a Space Where Leaders Grow! 

As a 4-H alumn, the state fair grounds has many memories of showing and competing my first horse there, and developing me as a human and leader. If you are interested in supporting youth development and are unsure where to get involved, consider donating to the 4-H Building Campaign! 

Book Recommendation

The Forgotten Many

My dear friend Charlotte Babler (who I facilitate Trauma Writing Discussion Group with) book The Forgotten Many is out October 6, 2026. 

Available for Pre-order on Amazon now!



Survivor - Path to Thriving Coaching & Consulting

To go in conjunction with Survivor not Victim, Path to Thriving (memoir and workbook), now offering Trauma-Informed Coaching, Consulting & Education!

path to thriving services

Survivor Lesson:

In each chapter of  Survivor not Victim book(s), Michelle breaks down what she refers to as ‘Survivor Lessons’ she has learned. Here is one of those lessons here.

Survivor Lesson: Self-Care

I used to push myself. It is how I got to where I am today.

🐦‍🔥Part of moving from victim to survivor to thriver was unlearning this.

🐦‍🔥To slow down.

🐦‍🔥To listen to my body’s cues and listen.

🐦‍🔥To no longer push myself and lean into care and love.


Trauma-Informed Coaching, Children’s Book, Youth Development Blog, Survivor Lesson & More

Thank you so much for subscribing to stay in the loop on my book project Survivor not Victim! 

Mission

"Survivor not Victim" is committed to raising awareness, educating, providing encouragement and empowerment, and equipping individuals, groups, and programs to support others in moving from victim to survivor to thriver.

Completion of Moving the Human Spirit Trauma-Informed Coaching Courses!

I am so excited about completing the course portion of becoming a Trauma-Informed Coach through Moving the Human Spirit and moving onto the mentorship portion with my cohort. 

If you are interested in Trauma-Informed Coaching, I am offering sessions at a discounted rate to get my hours to become ICF Accredited! 

Survivor - Path to Thriving Coaching & Consulting

I am excited to launch what has been several years in the making! To go in conjunction with my book project - Survivor not Victim, Path to Thriving (memoir and workbook) I am offering Trauma-Informed Coaching, Consulting & Education!

path to thriving services

Book Recommendation: 

Sara’s STEPS

As part of my Youth Program Fellowship (in 2019), I had the opportunity to be a contributor of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivor Children’s Book : Sara’s STEPS.

When Sara goes back to school after her burn injury, she isn't prepared for all the questions, comments, and staring.

Then her dad teaches her a tool called STEPS. Using their new skills, Sara and her brother face their classmates and find the confidence to thrive.

This book was created to help young burn survivors, their siblings, and children of burn survivors build confidence and gain tools to address staring, teasing, and questions.

find book here

New Blog!

Supporting youth to thrive through trauma and beyond

Michelle Lauren Anderson, a 4-H program operations specialist, as well as a trauma-informed coach and author, discusses the impact of trauma on youth and how youth development programs can help them move from survivor to thriver

Blog here

Featured Blogs

Re-Authoring my Story

“What is my story?

How do I want to share my story?

What other stories are mine beyond the one everyone asks about?

What do I even want to share?

What is the meaning behind what I am sharing?

How much or how little do I want to share?”

Blog here

Survivor Lesson:

In each chapter of my book project I break down what I refer to as ‘Survivor Lessons’ I have learned. I wanted to share a glimpse into those lessons here.

Self-Love

I found this quote quite a few years ago and it is still one of my favorites.

I used to want to be and pray to be ‘normal.’ To me normal meant : no trauma, no scars, no disabilities because of it, no being treated differently because of it. And I did my best to adapt ‘people please’ to change myself to fit whatever environment I was and be just that: ‘normal.’

I was ultimately faced with a choice:
1. Own my story, my scars and pain and give myself the love I craved from others, communicate my needs, be open and live loudly.
OR
2. Continue to try and fit the mold I felt others wanted me to be. Hide my pain, people please and ultimately be miserable because of it.

I ultimately made the choice to lean into my authentic truth and own my story, my scars and my pain.

I hope when you are faced with the - to be ‘normal’ or ‘be authentic’ you too also lean into being yourself and loving yourself 💗💜

Trauma-Informed Coaching, Glimpse into Writing Journey, Halloween with Scars and More!

Mission

"Survivor not Victim" is committed to raising awareness, educating, providing encouragement and empowerment, and equipping individuals, groups, and programs to support others in moving from victim to survivor to thriver.

Trauma-Informed Coaching

I am so excited to be pursuing a Trauma-Informed ICF coach through Moving the Human Spirit starting this November! ICF is the International Coach Federation, the only accredited coaching program with a trauma informed lens! 

I want to give a thank you to my colleagues at the University of Minnesota for supporting me in time and financially in furthering my education. 

I will be offering Trauma-Informed coaching and consulting sessions upon completion in Spring 2026! 

A Glimpse into my Writing Journey

Did you know to write my manuscript I also did a lot of research?

Before my memories resurfaced since I was burned at the age of 2, I also had to go back and learn others' narratives of the story from that time. 

This research included:

🔥Learn about trauma and trauma healing

🔥 Read and study the Fire Marshall and legal reports

🔥Interviewing family members

🔥Reading my Grandma’s old journals from the time of the fire and my stay at the hospital

Featured Blog

Scars Are Not Halloween Costumes

“To a lot of people, scars, race, disabilities, and differences are not costumes; they are a part of their everyday lives. Although we can't control other people and the way they may respond to our differences, we can choose not to be victimized by them and how we respond.” 

Continuing Reading Here.




Survivor Lesson

In each chapter of my book I break down what I refer to as ‘Survivor Lessons’ I have learned. I wanted to share a glimpse into those lessons here. 

Survivor Lesson: Pursuing your passion ignites a spark in you and leads you to your purpose.

Writing Discussion Group, Writing Journey, Summer Bucket List and More!

Mission

"Survivor not Victim" is committed to raising awareness, educating, providing encouragement and empowerment, and equipping individuals, groups, and programs to support others in moving from victim to survivor to thriver.

Writing Discussion Group for Trauma Survivors

I am very excited to be co-facilitating a Writing Discussion Group for Trauma Survivors! 

Writing about your trauma story is much different than any other type of writing! Gather with fellow survivors to share your work, receive feedback and learn together!

We will be starting in September on the second Tuesday of the month in Wyoming, MN and later be adding an option to join on Zoom.

August 9th, 2025 was National Book Lovers Day.

Here is one of my book recommendations that has helped me in my healing journey!


Summer Fun!


This July my horse Mia and I completed something on our bucket list: Cow sorting!

Coming Up: My horse Mia will be at the Minnesota State Fair August 30 - 31! Come stop by the horse barn and say ‘Hi.’

A Glimpse into my Writing Journey

This blog was one of the first blogs I ever wrote! It was inspired when I first started writing my book and realized my story was not what I had been told or thought it was.

Featured Blog

Writing to Discover my Story 

“My story is more than that one day.

This caused me to ask: “If my story isn’t solely about what caused my injury, then what is it?” Through the journey of writing a book about my story, I was able to recognize that my story is actually a collection of stories about everything that happened after the fire. My story has many chapters, each with different lessons about moving forward and learning to be a survivor.”


I did my first manuscript reading at The Loft Literary Center June 2025. 

Watch Here.

Survivor Lesson

In each chapter of my book project I break down what I refer to as ‘Survivor Lessons’ I have learned. I wanted to share a glimpse into those lessons here. 

Survivor Lesson: Developing a secure attachment style and focusing on connection over attachment will lead to healthier, more sustainable relationships.