Helping to Heal

‘Helping to Heal’ is a one-day workshop looking at how churches can support survivors of child sexual abuse.  It is suitable for church leadership and pastoral teams, as well as survivors of sexual abuse, and any other interested parties.

We’ll look at some basic information to lay a foundation, such as:

• what is child sexual abuse?
• what is the ‘spectrum of abuse’?

• what is the impact of abuse on people’s lives?

And then we’ll look more in detail at how churches can respond well, by covering topics such as:

• anatomy of a trauma: why the effects of abuse are physical, not just emotional, and what this means for healing
• the triad of cognitive distortion: denial, minimisation and blame — and how this relates to the perpetrator, the survivor and the church family
• the ‘F’ word (forgiveness!): stumbling blocks, unbearable burdens and errant theologies which block healing

• the questions we don’t like to ask: where was God? what about suffering? why and why me? — the spiritual impact of abuse and sitting with pain

This workshop will attempt to shift some paradigms, and take a fresh look at a topic that mostly we’d rather skirt around, so that we can build church communities that really do offer hope, and help people to heal.  There won’t be any quick fixes or easy solutions, but there will be plenty of compassion and even more hope.

We’ll look at abuse, and we will look at healing — and we’ll see how we can move from one to the other in a way that restores dignity and freedom back to survivors.

For more information please click here.

PODS (Positive Outcomes for Dissociative Survivors)

PODS (Positive Outcomes for Dissociative Survivors) works to make recovery from dissociative disorders a reality through:

• training
• informing
• supporting

PODS provides:

• information and awareness training days/workshops to inform and educate about the reality of living with and recovering from dissociation, trauma and sexual abuse, suitable both for dissociative survivors, their supporters and professionals such as counsellors and psychotherapists
• opportunities for survivors, partners and supporters to meet together and provide mutual support
• a weekly telephone helpline
• ongoing e-mail support
• resources such as an e-magazine, Information Booklets and Emergency DID Information cards
• signposting to other organisations
• PODS is run by Rob and Carolyn Spring, along with a team of other volunteers, most of whom suffer from a dissociative disorder. Rob is training as a counsellor and Carolyn is a freelance writer, speaker and trainer who has DID as a result of organised abuse.

For more information please go to www.pods-online.org.uk

TASC (Trauma and Abuse Support Centre)

If you’ve been sexually abused and you have never dealt with it, or you have been amnesic for it most of your life, and then suddenly memories and flashbacks and physical symptoms overwhelm you, where would you go for help?

TASC provides a web-based resource for adult survivors of child sexual abuse.  It bring together resources from all over the internet into one place.  There are links to organisations that work with adult survivors, an Amazon-linked bookstore highlighting some key helpful books, a ‘find a therapist’ search facility, details of training courses, conferences and other relevant events, and articles covering a range of relevant subjects, such as symptoms of abuse, long-term effects, trauma, attachment, PTSD and the mind/body link.

For more information please go to www.tasc-online.org.uk.