Tag Archive for: Therapy

You Are Not Alone: How CAPSA’s Support Groups Create Peer-Based Support

As a survivor of physical or sexual abuse, it can feel like you are alone and isolated in your experiences. However, at CAPSA, we know that survivors can benefit greatly from connecting with others who have shared similar experiences. That’s why we offer groups, which provide a safe environment for survivors to connect with one another and receive peer-based support. CAPSA offers support, educational, and therapy groups for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Groups create a safe place to learn, process, and heal while developing a peer-based support network.

What are Support Groups? 

Support groups are a form of therapy that involves connecting with others who have experienced similar traumatic events. The purpose of a support group is to provide a safe environment where survivors can share their experiences, feelings, and concerns with others who understand and empathize with what they are going through. 

At CAPSA, we offer several different groups for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These groups are facilitated by trained professionals who are knowledgeable about the unique needs of survivors. We also offer groups for specific populations, such as LGBTQ+ survivors or Spanish-speaking survivors, to ensure that everyone can receive the resources they need. 

After one of CAPSA’s most recent support groups, one participant reported feeling more validated after participating in the group. She described feeling she is no longer alone. She stated that she usually feels a need for “a lot of words of affirmation,” so hearing the other disclosures in the group affirmed her experiences. Another participant reported leaving the group experience with validation, knowing that what she experienced was real and was abuse, and another participant said she gained confidence in assessing future relationships for red flags because of her participation in the group.

Benefits of Support Groups 

  • Peer-Based Support: Support groups offer survivors the opportunity to connect with others who have shared similar experiences. This peer-based support can be incredibly validating and healing, as survivors no longer feel like they are alone in their experiences.
  • Validation: Survivors often struggle with feelings of shame, guilt, and self-blame after experiencing abuse. Being part of a support group can help survivors validate their experiences and understand that the abuse was not their fault.
  • Increased Self-Esteem: Support groups can help survivors feel more confident and empowered. As they connect with others who have shared similar experiences, survivors may feel more comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings, which can help boost their self-esteem.
  • Coping Skills: Support groups can provide survivors with practical coping skills and strategies to help them manage their symptoms and emotions. By learning from others who have gone through similar experiences, survivors can develop new ways of coping with their trauma.
  • Community: Support groups can help survivors build a sense of community and belonging. By connecting with others who understand and empathize with their experiences, survivors can feel less isolated and more supported.

“Working with groups means longer, harder hours, but I love it, so I keep volunteering to help with them,” said Stefani Taylor, a therapist in CAPSA’s clinical department. “My favorite thing about the Hope & Healing group for survivors of sexual assault is the growth of the group members. Typically, everyone is quiet when we start. The first day is a lot of facilitators talking, asking questions, and building rapport. But over a few sessions, members start to open up, share, and support each other. Bonds form and friendships begin in H&H. People who I never thought would say a word become some of the most frequent participants and some of the friendliest supporters of other group members. I can’t express how much I love watching people become comfortable with the group and close with each other. It is a bond I’ve never seen anywhere else, a really important, close, unspoken bond.”

Here to Help

At CAPSA, we are committed to providing survivor-centered services that meet the unique needs of each individual who seeks our support. When you call CAPSA at 435-753-2500, you can expect a warm and welcoming response, information and support, advocacy and support, and confidentiality. We want survivors to know that they are not alone and that they have the power to make informed decisions about their safety and well-being. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, please don’t hesitate to call CAPSA.

Therapy – Primary and Secondary Survivors

CAPSA’s Clinical Therapy is for primary and secondary survivors of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault and other types of abuse. This service is free and confidential.

CAPSA offers therapy to help heal from the trauma associated with abuse. It is not easy, particularly in the moment when survivors are still dealing with the fallout of abuse or for those who experienced their abuse as children and never had access to support. 

Value to Survivors 

It is very common for survivors to feel they have no one to talk to, no one they can share their story with safely – knowing they will be believed and taken seriously. Especially with loved ones and people they are close with, the fear that sharing will change or ruin the relationship can be paralyzing and prevent healing. 

CAPSA’s Therapy provides an opportunity to share their story without fear of judgement or retaliation. Therapy gives survivors a chance to unload and to let go of that stress so they can begin to move on.  

Value to Secondary Survivors 

The reality is that most friends and family want to help – but they often are not sure how. The fear that saying the wrong thing or not knowing the right way to support someone will make the situation worse often prevents people who care from helping. Even when they do help, loved ones providing support often face stress and added trauma themselves, as well as feelings of helplessness knowing they cannot magically make the survivor feel whole.  

CAPSA’s Therapy service provides an opportunity for Secondary Survivors to feel support, receive advice, and gain information about helping their loved ones. It provides support and reassurance so that they can heal, too.  

If you need help

If you or a loved one has experienced domestic violence, sexual assault or rape, CAPSA can help. Our services continue to be available through the Covid19 crisis and CAPSA’s Advocates stand ready to provide support to those in need.  

Please, call CAPSA’s Support Line at 435-753-2500 to find out how we can help.  

CAPSA’s Therapy Service

CAPSA’s Clinical Therapy is offered for immediate and secondary survivors of abuse and sexual assault. This service is free and confidential, and allows CAPSA to support the emotional needs of survivors alongside their other needs.

Therapy is Valuable to CAPSA’s Clients

Often, survivors of domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault – traumatic events which can leave victims in crisis – struggle with how to respond. Common emotional and psychological responses such as guilt, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, or depression, leave survivors struggling and often without proper support.

CAPSA’s Therapists help survivors cope with these trauma-responses, help them overcome and build emotional resilience against stress. Fundamentally, our Therapists help survivors realize they are not crazy for struggling, for being anxious or depressed, and that the abuse was not their fault. No one deserves to be abused.

CAPSA’s Therapy Center

CAPSA Offers Multiple Types of Therapy

Every instance of domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape is unique, and every person responds differently to different treatments. CAPSA’s Therapists are trauma-informed, and understand the unique challenges associated with abuse. They are certified in multiple forms of therapy in order to offer the best support for each client. CAPSA runs clinics providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR).

These clinical options ensure survivors receive the treatment they need in a way that will be beneficial, that does not re-traumatize, and helps them move forward.

CAPSA’s Therapy Service is Always Free

All of CAPSA’s services are FREE and confidential, including therapy. The emotional impact of abuse is easy to neglect when you still need somewhere to live, but healing means meeting both needs.

CAPSA’s Therapy service is available to anyone who needs help overcoming the effects of abuse. Regardless of whether the abuse is recent, occurred when you were young, or you are struggling to support a loved one recovering from abuse.

If you or someone you love has experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or rape, CAPSA can help. Please, call our Support Line at 435-753-2500 to find out how.