Colorado Tattoo Artist Embarks on Innovative Therapy Journey Following One of the Most Publicized Sexual Assault Cases in American History

Back in 2012, a 14-year-old girl in Maryville made international headlines following a sexual assault case that ignited social media. Her name is Daisy Coleman and you may recognize her from the 2016 Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, which followed the outcome of what many have referred to as a “modern day ‘Scarlet Letter’ story.” It has been two years since we last saw Daisy, however, her story is far from over.

Today, Daisy is 21-years-old and working as a tattoo artist in Colorado. Fans of the documentary might remember that Daisy had begun her career as a tattooer while still in high school, inking a number of her close friends on camera. But today she’s made tattooing her career and is currently in the process of filming her next big project—a chapter two, if you will, to the story told in Audrie & Daisy. 

Saving Daisy is the name of Daisy’s second film feature and it will focus on her “journey of healing from lifelong trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, using EMDR.” Following the death of her younger brother Tristan this past June, Daisy realized that she needed to address her PTSD with therapy. She reached out to friend and fellow sexual assault activist Ella Fairon, who recommended a revolutionary process called EMDR.

“The goal and objective of this project are to record the impact and measurable results of EMDR treatment on a rape survivor and use this research and findings to ultimately create a narrative feature film based on Daisy Coleman’s life and recovery through EMDR,” shares Fairon.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and according to the EMDR Institute, “it’s a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.” Daisy has joined forces with Fairon, who owns a production company, to document the process and show audiences the intricate steps of repairing years of trauma. Using Kickstarter, over 321 backers helped to make this project a reality by donating over $32K.  Take a look at the video below to learn more from Daisy herself.

While Daisy has reached her initial goal, this campaign is still accepting donations to assist with the project and get her family the help they need. Stay tuned to learn more about Daisy’s progress with EMDR and her upcoming film Saving Daisy.