In a world where many still suffer in silence, a few voices rise above the noise — courageous, unwavering, and ready to challenge the status quo. One of those voices belongs to Pooneh Michelle Tanaeim, a relentless advocate for domestic violence survivors who has transformed her own harrowing past into a powerful mission to uplift and empower women around the globe.
Pooneh opens up about her past, her purpose, and how she’s turning unimaginable pain into a movement of hope and healing.
Q: Pooneh, your strength is extraordinary. Can you share a bit about where your story begins?
Pooneh: Thank you. My story begins in Tehran, where I was born, and later in Great Neck, New York, where I was raised in a traditional but loving family. Like many young women, I was taught that marriage was the ultimate goal. At 26, I thought I had found that happy ending — but instead, I walked into a life filled with deception, control, and emotional torture.
Q: What made you decide to finally walk away from that chapter of your life?
Pooneh: After 25 years of surviving abuse — including a decade with a man who was not only emotionally manipulative but also a professional fraud — I realized that staying was costing me my identity, my peace, and my future. Leaving was not easy. The harassment didn’t end when I left; in fact, it escalated. But I chose myself, my children, and my freedom. That choice changed everything.
Q: How did you turn your trauma into your calling?
Pooneh: I realized my silence was no longer protecting me — it was imprisoning me. Once I found the courage to speak, I knew I had a responsibility to help other women do the same. My purpose now is to remind survivors that they’re not broken. They are powerful. Surviving abuse doesn’t make you weak — it means you’ve already conquered so much. Now, it’s about helping others rise too.
Q: What does empowerment look like for you today?
Pooneh: Empowerment is watching a woman who once thought she was worthless begin to believe in herself again. It’s seeing survivors reclaim their souls, their dignity, their joy. I work with women to support them emotionally, legally, and spiritually. I want to build a worldwide community — a sisterhood of strength, where we lift each other out of the darkness and into healing.
Q: What change would you most like to see in how the world addresses domestic violence?
Pooneh: We need deeper awareness, stronger protections, and real legal reform. Too many survivors are re-victimized by the very systems meant to shield them. I want to challenge the outdated beliefs that keep women silent — the shame, the stigma. I believe education is key, as is emotional support. Healing happens when we are believed, supported, and empowered to move forward.
Q: You’ve mentioned wanting to inspire others. What do you hope survivors take away from your story?
Pooneh: I want every woman to know that she is not alone. That her story matters. That she is not defined by what happened to her, but by how she rises. If I can be a light in someone’s darkest moment, then everything I endured has a purpose. My goal is to be a voice for the voiceless — and to help them find their own.
From a survivor of trauma to a beacon of hope, Pooneh Michelle Tanaeim is proving that strength doesn’t come from never falling — it comes from rising, again and again. Her unshakable resilience is fueling a global movement of healing, and her story is a powerful reminder that even in the deepest pain, transformation is possible.
As she continues to share her truth and fight for change, Pooneh’s message is clear: You are not alone. You are powerful. And your life can be yours again.
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