by Kerrie Atherton | Nov 3, 2025 | Counselling, Depression, Domestic Abuse, lived experience, Podcasts, sexual abuse, Stories of Hope
The story of Jennifer Heng Safe Place Singapore abortion recovery domestic violence faith hope is a moving reminder that no matter how deep the shame or how dark the past, redemption and healing are possible. Jennifer’s journey from secrecy and trauma to purpose and compassion reveals the extraordinary power of second chances.
Early Life and Struggles
Growing up in Singapore, Jennifer faced a childhood marked by family turmoil and heartbreak. As a teenager, she longed for love and belonging but instead found herself in an abusive relationship and pregnant at just 17. Terrified and alone, she underwent a late-term abortion, followed by a second one years later under pressure from a violent partner. Her world spiralled into guilt, fear, and self-loathing. For years, she believed she was beyond forgiveness and unworthy of love.
Breaking the Silence
In a culture where shame runs deep and emotions are rarely spoken, Jennifer kept her pain hidden. Yet the weight of those secrets only grew heavier. When she finally began to speak about her experiences, the healing began. Her courage to confront the past became the first step toward a new life. She discovered that shame loses its power when it is brought into the light, and that grace and hope can grow in even the hardest places.
Faith and Transformation
Everything changed when Jennifer left Singapore to study in Melbourne. In a quiet season of reflection, she experienced what she describes as a radical encounter with God’s love—a moment that set her free from guilt and gave her the courage to start again. This awakening became the turning point that redefined her life, leading her to faith, forgiveness, and ultimately, hope.
Safe Place and a New Purpose
Today, Jennifer Heng is the Director of Safe Place Singapore, an organisation dedicated to supporting pregnant women in crisis. Through housing, counselling, and community care, Safe Place empowers women to make life-giving choices and find dignity and strength during vulnerable times. Jennifer has helped hundreds of women rebuild their lives, proving that healing can ripple across generations.
Why Her Story Matters
The story of Jennifer Heng Safe Place Singapore abortion recovery domestic violence faith hope is not only about personal transformation—it’s about the courage to speak truth in a culture of silence and to turn pain into purpose. Jennifer’s life reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and that our darkest chapters can become the source of someone else’s healing.
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by Kerrie Atherton | Dec 15, 2021 | Addiction, Counselling, Depression, Empower, Events, Mental Health, sexual abuse, vulnerability
LEADING THE WAY
Leading the way has not been something that has come easily to me nor was it something I sought. It all started when I intentionally allowed myself as hard as it was to become vulnerable. The harsh events of life cause a vulnerability in so many that is raw and uncomfortable, but for me it was intolerable and unbearable. The feeling and fear of being vulnerable was something that in former days caused me to numb myself out on alcohol and prescription. Anything but face life and pain in its true form. But not today.
WEARING MASKS
I was so afraid that if people really found out who I was on the inside, I would be rejected. I did everything I could to mask the true me because i literally hated myself. As hard as I tried, I could never hide because I wore a veil of shame. The shame of growing up in an alcoholic home and the secrets I felt I had to keep to protect not only me but those around me. The social anxiety and the intense loneliness I felt on the inside, caused me to wear masks and many of them. I didn’t want people to know how desperate I really felt. The only problem with wearing masks was that when I was with a group of people, i had no idea of how to act. Because I wore a different mask for different people, i would render myself silent for fear of being found out.
COMING CLEAN
I literally started becoming clean in every sense of the word, the day I got sober in a twelve step recovery meeting. Night after night i was asked to share my story, my struggles and about my sobriety. I felt humiliated unveiling the layers of shame publicly and public humiliation was the very thing I feared the most. But, I knew my recovery depended on it. Besides I was in a safe environment and one where everyone else in the room were also sharing their deepest darkest pain but maybe like me, not ALL their secrets. I still had one I rarely talked about. One where every time it would even enter my mind I became angry and one where even the thought of saying the words made me feel so shattered and so ashamed.
SILENT NO MORE
I remember the day so clearly that I finally came to terms with being raped at 17 years of age. When it happened all those years ago, I told no one. After all I had been molested by a pedophile when I was nine and there was no justice. So I figured there would be no justice if I did tell. What we ‘KEEP IN THE DARKNESS CAN NEVER BE DEALT WITH. IT IS ONLY WHEN WE BRING SOMETHING OUT INTO THE LIGHT THAT WE CAN FINALLY BEGIN TO HEAL’. I realised that the shame was not mine to carry any longer. That was the day I found the keys to freedom. The day I decided I would be SILENT NO MORE! When I finally became vulnerable enough to talk about this publicly, i realised there was no longer anything to hide and nothing holding me back. The fear of rejection no longer has a hold on me. Today I share all my stories so that other people my know that they too can recover from trauma. I can be a voice of HOPE for all those who are still suffering in silence and I can truly connect with people because I am prepared to be vulnerable.
by Kerrie Atherton | Nov 18, 2021 | Addiction, Counselling, Depression, Empower, Events, Mental Health, sexual abuse, vulnerability
LEADING THE WAY
Leading the way has not been something that has come easily to me nor was it something I sought. It all started when I intentionally allowed myself as hard as it was to become vulnerable. The harsh events of life cause a vulnerability in so many that is raw and uncomfortable, but for me it was intolerable and unbearable. The feeling and fear of being vulnerable was something that in former days caused me to numb myself out on alcohol and prescription. Anything but face life and pain in its true form. But not today.
WEARING MASKS
I was so afraid that if people really found out who I was on the inside, I would be rejected. I did everything I could to mask the true me because i literally hated myself. As hard as I tried, I could never hide because I wore a veil of shame. The shame of growing up in an alcoholic home and the secrets I felt I had to keep to protect not only me but those around me. The social anxiety and the intense loneliness I felt on the inside, caused me to wear masks and many of them. I didn’t want people to know how desperate I really felt. The only problem with wearing masks was that when I was with a group of people, i had no idea of how to act. Because I wore a different mask for different people, i would render myself silent for fear of being found out.
COMING CLEAN
I literally started becoming clean in every sense of the word, the day I got sober in a twelve step recovery meeting. Night after night i was asked to share my story, my struggles and about my sobriety. I felt humiliated unveiling the layers of shame publicly and public humiliation was the very thing I feared the most. But, I knew my recovery depended on it. Besides I was in a safe environment and one where everyone else in the room were also sharing their deepest darkest pain but maybe like me, not ALL their secrets. I still had one I rarely talked about. One where every time it would even enter my mind I became angry and one where even the thought of saying the words made me feel so shattered and so ashamed.
SILENT NO MORE
I remember the day so clearly that I finally came to terms with being raped at 17 years of age. When it happened all those years ago, I told no one. After all I had been molested by a pedophile when I was nine and there was no justice. So I figured there would be no justice if I did tell. What we ‘KEEP IN THE DARKNESS CAN NEVER BE DEALT WITH. IT IS ONLY WHEN WE BRING SOMETHING OUT INTO THE LIGHT THAT WE CAN FINALLY BEGIN TO HEAL’. I realised that the shame was not mine to carry any longer. That was the day I found the keys to freedom. The day I decided I would be SILENT NO MORE! When I finally became vulnerable enough to talk about this publicly, i realised there was no longer anything to hide and nothing holding me back. The fear of rejection no longer has a hold on me. Today I share all my stories so that other people my know that they too can recover from trauma. I can be a voice of HOPE for all those who are still suffering in silence and I can truly connect with people because I am prepared to be vulnerable.
