“The Limits of Forgiveness'“ is a documentary which tells Marlee’s story of justice & advocacy after trauma. Directed by Kelsey Darragh, It includes the voices of survivors, policy experts, lawyers and more. Streaming information coming soon.

Hi, I’m Marlee!

I’m so glad you’re here! I am an award-winning speaker, survivor advocate, somatic educator, author and sparkle-loving lesbian based in ‘Toronto’. My personal sexual assault case set precedent in North America after concluding with Restorative Justice through the courts. I fought for my assailant to go to therapy instead of criminal trial and eventually, we met in an 8-hour circle that was transformative to say the least. Since then, I’ve founded Survivors 4 Justice Reform & have supported thousands in re-imagining justice and healing trauma. With a background in Social Work (RSW) and Somatic Sex Education, my work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Buzzfeed, the Mel Robbins Show and more. I am published in The International Journal of Restorative Justice and my memoir published by Penguin Random House, If I Had Known Then, is now available for preorder.

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I’ve had the privilege of delivering keynotes, workshops and training for: US Military SAPRO, National Sexual Assault Conference, University of Toronto, Vanderbilt University, Trauma & Recovery Conference, Action Trauma Summit, Women’s Mental Health Conference at Yale and more. I sat on Survivors Council Canada as a Director and Member at Large. I’m also the proud: Creator of the online course, ‘Speak & Thrive: Build a Profitable & Authentic Speaking Business’, host of The Sensual Revolution Podcast (currently on hiatus), and subject of an award-winning documentary directed by Kelsey Darragh (premiering December 17th 2025).

‘If I Had Known Then: A Memoir of Sexual Assault, Hope and My Battle to Re-Imagine Justice’ is now available for preorder.

Published by Penguin Random House, it's the story of my sexual assault, the three years I spent fighting a criminal legal system that re-traumatized me at every turn, and how I became one of the first sexual assault survivors in North America to experience a Restorative Justice outcome through the courts. It's a book about what justice, healing and humanity can look like if we are courageous enough to imagine it differently.

Preorders matter more than you might think. They tell bookstores and booksellers that people care about this conversation. So here’s my thank-you! Preorder the book and you’ll get an exclusive first look at the chapter “Catalyst” before the official launch.

Preorder it Here

It’s Time to Bridge Justice with Healing.

Author & Award-Winning Speaker on Healing, Empathy and Re-Imagining Justice for Violence.

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If your campus, workplace or conference is looking for a keynote speaker or trainer, let’s connect! I’m always honoured to share these messages of re-imagining justice, healing trauma & empathy with you.

Let's Co-Create an Impact!

What People are Saying.

  • "Students shared that Marlee was ‘the best presenter they’ve seen in four years at Vanderbilt’ and that her talk ‘changed their lives’. Her language is beautiful and trauma-informed. "

    -Cara Tuttle, Vanderbilt U

  • “Listening to Marlee’s story was such a cathartic experience for me. As a survivor, I have never felt so seen in my life. I’ve been feeling really defeated, Marlee helped me reconnect with hope”

    -Student, Georgetown U

  • “Marlee really showed how truly empathizing with others is a strength, not a weakness. Thank you for teaching that it’s possible to find closure, get past the hard things in life and start to heal"

    -Student, Fordham U

  • “She was able to take a serious, hard topic and make it easy to talk about. I have heard many trauma survivors stories, but nothing like this, Truly eye opening and heart warming."

    -Student, U of Toronto

  • “Marlee’s session was deeply inspiring. It was incredible to hear a process where a survivor could move away from being further traumatized and actually be able to move towards healing”

    -National SA Conference

  • “Marlee is an inspiration. She created a safe space for vulnerability and learning. I left her Consent Education workshop with not only valuable information but also with hope in my heart.

    -Student, Niagara College

  • “I was incredibly moved by Marlee’s keynote. After listening, I feel empowered to become an advocate for healing justice and to practice restorative principles in my work and everyday life”

    -Support Survivors Conference

  • "As a Queer survivor of SA, I felt alone in my experience of reclaiming pleasure. But Marlee provided an empowering roadmap to communicate my needs. I felt seen and heard in her workshop.

    -Student, U of Toronto

  • “Marlee is one of the best speakers I’ve heard, the way she told her story was so powerful. I am an SA survivor and even though it sounds cheesy, I feel changed after this talk. Thank you”

    -Student, Vanderbilt U

  • "I work in the DA’s office & hope to become a S.xual Assault prosecutor one day. This really opened my mind on how restorative justice could be used to support survivors and give them more of a voice"

    -Trauma & Recovery Con

  • Marlee truly has a way with words. Her courage and willingness to share her story is incredible. If I wasn't already convinced about the advantages of restorative justice, her story definitely would have inspired my support and further research on the topic

    -Andrea, U Waterloo

Course Release

Course Release

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Speak & Thrive is an online course designed for storytellers, survivors, leaders, educators, and advocates who know their voice is meant for more but aren’t sure how to build a sustainable path forward. This program is for you if...

  • You’re tired of being asked to share your story for free in the name of “exposure”

  • You dream of turning lived expertise into meaningful impact, purpose and income

  • You’ve struggled to find guidance that’s both ethical and empowering, not rooted in hustle culture or trauma sensationalism

  • You’re ready to finally claim your space on stages, panels, podcasts, and beyond - on your terms.

See the Course Details
WEBINAR: Watch my Free Training on Building a Speaking Biz
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Survivors 4 Justice Reform:

The Global Coalition

In 2024, Marlee Liss founded Survivors 4 Justice Reform - a global coalition of survivors of SV, DV, HT & allies calling for justice reform. We work to challenge ‘justice’ systems that re-traumatize survivors. In their place, we advocate for trauma-informed, community-created responses rooted in restorative and transformative justice models. Through grassroots organizing, survivor storytelling, political education, and policy advocacy, we aim to transform public narratives about harm and justice - shifting minds, hearts and systems toward survivor-centered, non-carceral futures. Learn more and/or join the coalition here.

Get in touch.

If you have a vision for collaboration, I want to hear it! I’m always glad to learn more about folks doing related work, to discuss speaking opportunities, to explore creative ways to create impact together, to partner with brands on social media, participate in interviews, panels and more.