Resurrection After Rape Community Group
Discussion, question-and-answer, general social support, and journal processing for progress-oriented rape survivors. No crisis, no damaging or triggering conflicts--this is for individuals who want to contribute to collective, cooperative action toward the goal of making actual PROGRESS through rape trauma. Much of this work is based on the book "Resurrection After...
If you could design the treatment program that would benefit survivors best, rather than having to shop around your city to find whatever crumbs of a program exist, what would you design?
What would be the setting?
What kinds of activities would you want to include?
What creative methods should be incorporated, as opposed to generic "therapy"?
What style of counselor would be best?
My own dream:
A residential resort setting (NOT hospital in-patient) in mountains, with nearby trails and lakes. People come voluntarily and stay in a safe, secluded setting with other survivors.
An emphasis is placed on social aspects of recovery, such as group bonding and activity. Canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, campfires at night, and fun activities (the real kind, not the "cut out construction paper" crafts you do in a hospital. I'm thinking, midnight broom hockey! Gab fests!)
Therapy is done in group work with lots of available individual attention. With mountain air all around, being asked to journal is not a chore--just find a tree and sit in the mountains and write.
The sweatlodge would be included as a treatment method.
Therapists would be creative and unconventional. The mindset of therapy is equality and collaboration with the client, not authoritarian counseling. Therapists would be encouraged to participate in all aspects of treatment, including the group work AND the social experience, joining cadres of clients for coffee, roasting marshmallows over campfires with them, joining them in the sweatlodge, sitting in circles with them to talk and joke. The term
"boundaries" would refer to the use of touch and harmful action, rather than a term that segregates client and therapist from a holistic collaboration in all aspects of recovery.
The use of art and creativity would be primary. Mural paintings, collages, medicine bags, and other right-brained processes would not be excluded form the work.
Clients would contribute to the maintenance of the treatment grounds: caring for horses, assisting in meals and cleanup, etc.
The program would be available on a sliding fee scale, so that unlike other "resort treatment" programs it does not exclude all but the wealthy.
This is my DREAM. Other people may crave riches for personal gratitude, but I wish I had a couple of million dollars to start this kind of facility. Nothing like it has been tried, and I believe it would become the world's model program for survivors.
What would YOUR dream program look like?
What would be the setting?
What kinds of activities would you want to include?
What creative methods should be incorporated, as opposed to generic "therapy"?
What style of counselor would be best?
My own dream:
A residential resort setting (NOT hospital in-patient) in mountains, with nearby trails and lakes. People come voluntarily and stay in a safe, secluded setting with other survivors.
An emphasis is placed on social aspects of recovery, such as group bonding and activity. Canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, campfires at night, and fun activities (the real kind, not the "cut out construction paper" crafts you do in a hospital. I'm thinking, midnight broom hockey! Gab fests!)
Therapy is done in group work with lots of available individual attention. With mountain air all around, being asked to journal is not a chore--just find a tree and sit in the mountains and write.
The sweatlodge would be included as a treatment method.
Therapists would be creative and unconventional. The mindset of therapy is equality and collaboration with the client, not authoritarian counseling. Therapists would be encouraged to participate in all aspects of treatment, including the group work AND the social experience, joining cadres of clients for coffee, roasting marshmallows over campfires with them, joining them in the sweatlodge, sitting in circles with them to talk and joke. The term
"boundaries" would refer to the use of touch and harmful action, rather than a term that segregates client and therapist from a holistic collaboration in all aspects of recovery.
The use of art and creativity would be primary. Mural paintings, collages, medicine bags, and other right-brained processes would not be excluded form the work.
Clients would contribute to the maintenance of the treatment grounds: caring for horses, assisting in meals and cleanup, etc.
The program would be available on a sliding fee scale, so that unlike other "resort treatment" programs it does not exclude all but the wealthy.
This is my DREAM. Other people may crave riches for personal gratitude, but I wish I had a couple of million dollars to start this kind of facility. Nothing like it has been tried, and I believe it would become the world's model program for survivors.
What would YOUR dream program look like?
because I can't imagine a better treatment program that what you just described.
May God grant you this dream, Matt. For all of our sakes.
I wish I had a couple million to throw at ya Matt...
I looked all over for ANYTHING like this in AZ months ago, and could only find "day retreats" that were more like seminars. SO not the same thing.
The best kind of counselor would be someone who believes in your style of therapy Matt. This is in your vision. It just happens to be ours as well. Someone who is open, fun, EXPERIENCED, caring. Men AND women.
And how about yoga at sunset for a good way to relax and unwind? Just a thought.
Looks like we'd all better start a lottery syndicate ............................
On a slightly more serious note, not everyone will be up to the more physical activities. Long hikes .................... yes great when I'm physically up to it, but the way I've been feeling recently I'm just about up to doing knitting lol.
I'd just hate anyone to feel like the awkward, nerdy kid at school again about the more strenuous stuff - since that was the story of my teens, I never want to go back there again :)
What you described would be healing on so many different levels.
Where do I sign up :)
I think your description sounds wonderful too. Maybe I could be an employee....like, the 'compound nurse' or something...except full time....and, then I could like take the time off from my job there...to attend there....and come back from there...to a job there. Sounds perfect!
And Matt, ditto as well.