...FOR PEOPLE RECOVERING FROM TRAUMA

The support groups are small groups which meet weekly for 2 hour sessions over a period of 8-10 weeks usually. Generally, no new people join after the first session, until the 8 weeks are completed.

Structured with flexibility as follows for individual needs and varying group dynamics:

• Re-build Safety & Trust.

• Explore motives, needs, goals, and emotional processes that people generally undergo and the unique situations that participants describe.

• Share feelings & emotions using visualisation, diary writing, word pictures or drawings.

• Education about the traumatic stress recovery process, stress management, relaxation, problem solving strategies and resources provided intermittently as the need arises or it is requested. This is usually a discussion, sometimes assisted by the use of a white board.

• Self empowerment is encouraged and facilitated by assisting participants to clarify aims and strategies. As participants build confidence to discover and use resources they are empowered to move on and develop wider, more effective support systems.

COUNSELLOR ROLE

The Counsellor's role is to:

• Create a safe environment in which participants can start to explore emotions and begin to look at options

• Empower the person to manage their recovery with information, and a means to express what is happening for them.

• Flexibly facilitate the participants' movement through the process.

• Monitor and evaluate individual's threshold levels and refer if necessary.

• Additionally, continually monitor & adjust the process to the group.

PARTICIPANT RESPONSES on their gains from their groups.

• Greater awareness of patterns/responses that impacted negatively on self. Skills to deal with symptoms.

• Professional help, empathy, trust, understanding and feedback. Safer to share with group than therapists.

• Validation, normalising and talking out so that it doesn't leak out in social situations.

• Most valuable was to feel safe to have self defenses and 'warts' exposed.

• Self expression. Built confidence with people. Help, reassured knowing others with similar difficulties. Acceptance, the will to go back into life, and friendships.

• Meaningfulness and came to terms with reality of what happened. Insight into Post Traumatic Stress process, effect on own life and other's perception of self.

• 'Confidence and realisations of what I have overcome alone'.

Costs are negotiable

Contact us and we will discuss with you how we can address your needs!