Walk the Talk America (WTTA) recently brought together domestic violence survivor and licensed professional counselor Kelly Sutliff and Bersa USA Director of Sales Rafael Del Valle for a conversation about firearm ownership, mental health, domestic violence and the lasting consequences that can follow when laws intersect with complicated personal circumstances.
Sutliff first appeared on WTTA's Guns & Mental Health podcast in 2025 to share her experience surviving a violent domestic relationship and the legal battles that followed. During that period, her firearm was confiscated after her former husband sought an Extreme Risk Protective Order against her. Sutliff ultimately forfeited the firearm while navigating multiple criminal and family court proceedings.
After those cases concluded, WTTA Founder, Chairman and CEO Michael Sodini encouraged Sutliff to explore whether she could legally restore her ability to purchase and possess a firearm.
What followed was a months-long process involving attorneys, firearm permitting requirements and psychological and psychiatric evaluations that Sutliff estimates cost approximately $10,000 before she was ultimately approved for a New Jersey Firearms Purchaser Identification Card and handgun purchase permit.
"This is exactly why these conversations matter," Sodini said. "Kelly's experience forces us to look beyond slogans and ask what policies actually look like when they intersect with domestic violence, mental health, personal safety and due process. WTTA exists to create room for those difficult conversations without reducing people to one side of a political argument."
Sutliff said the process was particularly difficult because firearm ownership had once been part of her personal safety plan following the domestic violence she experienced.
"I've been through a lot of trauma with the domestic violence that I endured, but having my firearm taken away was one of the most traumatic parts," Sutliff said during the episode. "I felt completely defenseless."
As Sutliff worked through the process of obtaining a new permit, Sodini contacted longtime WTTA supporter and firearms industry professional Rafael Del Valle about her story. Del Valle has spent 17 years with Bersa and currently serves as the company's Director of Sales for the United States.
When Sodini asked whether Bersa USA would be willing to help Sutliff replace the firearm she had previously lost, the answer was immediate.
Bersa USA donated a handgun to Sutliff after she successfully completed New Jersey's required permitting process.
"When Mike told me Kelly's story, there really wasn't much to think about," Del Valle said. "If we could do something on the back end to help after everything she had already gone through, we were happy to do it. Hearing the full story makes that decision feel even more important."
Sutliff received the firearm in July and described Bersa's support as bringing an important part of her experience "full circle."
"I'm so appreciative of Mike, Rafael and Bersa," Sutliff said. "After everything that happened, having Bersa step up and donate a firearm to me means a lot."
For WTTA, the episode also demonstrates the role firearm manufacturers and other industry organizations can play beyond manufacturing and selling products.
"Companies in this industry have an opportunity to show that caring about firearm owners means caring about the people behind the purchase," Sodini said. "Bersa didn't ask what they were going to get out of this. They heard Kelly's story and asked how they could help. That deserves recognition."
The conversation also examines broader questions surrounding extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence, firearm-rights restoration, mental health evaluations and the financial barriers individuals may encounter while attempting to navigate the legal system.
Sutliff emphasized that her goal in continuing to share the experience is not simply to revisit what happened to her, but to encourage discussion about how systems can better protect domestic violence survivors without unintentionally leaving them more vulnerable.
Her experience also led to the creation of Kelly's K9s: Tales of Courage, a nonprofit organization providing trained protection dogs to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors at no cost. The organization offers both fully trained dog placements and a partner-training program for survivors whose existing dogs meet the criteria for protection training.
The complete conversation with Sutliff and Del Valle is available through Walk the Talk America's Guns & Mental Health podcast and WTTA digital platforms.
If you or someone you know is struggling, WTTA offers a free, confidential mental health screening at wtta.org.
About Walk the Talk America: Walk the Talk America is a nonprofit organization working to bridge the gap between mental health and responsible firearm ownership. WTTA brings together firearms-industry professionals, mental health clinicians, researchers and gun owners to develop culturally competent approaches to suicide prevention, mental wellness, responsible firearm storage and reducing barriers to seeking help. Learn more at WalkTheTalkAmerica.org.
About Bersa USA: Bersa is a longstanding international firearms manufacturer founded in Argentina in 1958. Through Bersa USA, the company serves the U.S. firearms market with a focus on reliable, accessible defensive firearms while supporting firearm owners, retailers and organizations within the broader firearms community.