Linda Sherrard

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Sexual Abuse Recovery Group

Who: Women Only

Where: Hope and Healing Counseling Center, LLC
1417 Georgia Avenue
North Augusta, SC 29841

When: Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 PM

Leader: Linda C. Sherrard, LPC, NCC

Cost: Free

Register: 803-262-4307 or lindasherrard@hopehcc.com

Format: Open group – new members may join at any time

This is a safe place to be yourself and talk about your struggles and fears

The Sexual Abuse Recovery Group is open to women seeking support from others as they journey through recovery from sexual trauma toward a new sense of wholeness.

This is a private and confidential group that can help women cope with their emotions surrounding their trauma. These emotions may include, but are not limited to:

  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • False Guilt
  • Sadness

Some objectives are:

  • Help participants share their experience
  • Help participants recognize that they are not alone and understand the current impact of this experience on their lives
  • Help participants begin to process feelings and beliefs associated with the trauma.

There is power in connecting with other survivors. It helps to talk about it. You are not alone!

FAQs:

What are the other group members going to be like?
The Sexual Abuse Recovery Group is open to women of all ages who have experienced sexual abuse or assault. There will be a maximum of eight members. Group members have a history of sexual trauma, currently view that as an important concern in their life, and will have expressed a desire to talk about their recovery with other survivors. Group members may have experienced sexual abuse as a child, a recent sexual assault, or both. It is important to know that the facilitator(s) will create an atmosphere where everyone is respected and where group members do not compare their experiences with each other in a way that minimizes others’ (or their own) experiences. There is no one “right way” or “wrong way” to heal from abuse and we can support each other along the way.

What if I don’t like it, or discover that it isn’t the right time for me to be in this group?
The first few groups are often the most difficult, so please commitment to attend 2-3 sessions before deciding that the group is not right for you. Input from group members is encouraged and valued in an effort to make this group a positive and helpful experience for all members. However, if you decide at any point that this group is not a good fit for you, you are free to leave at any point.

Is participating in group going to make things worse by bringing up difficult memories?
The first few group sessions may be particularly difficult and there will be hard days. This is openly discussed in the group along with ways to care for yourself after group and during the week. You are encouraged to “lean in” and participate in group as much as you are able and in whatever way you are able.

This sounds great. How do I sign up?
You may complete the interest form on the top right of this page, call (803-262-4307), or email (lindasherrard@hopehcc.com) to express interest in the group. After the form is received, you will be contacted you to schedule a screening appointment with you to make sure this group is a good fit. If you are not sure you want to participate but want more information, I’ll be happy to meet with you and try to answer all questions you may have.

The trauma happened in relationship, so it can best be healed in relationship.

You have been through something terrible, and you may feel like you can’t talk to anyone about it. You worry that they won’t believe you, they will blame you, or they just don’t want to hear it. Connecting with others who have been through similar situations is an important step in recovering. In the Sexual Abuse Recovery Group, you will learn about trauma and how it effects the brain and body and how it shows up in your daily life. You will start to heal the pain of the past and learn to trust others.

Survivors of sexual abuse or assault often feel isolated and feel that no one understands or even wants to hear what happened. You are not alone in your suffering.

There is an average of 293,066 sexual assaults each year; that’s one assault every 107 seconds.

The trauma happened in relationship to another person, so part of the healing must also be in relationship. That’s why group therapy for sexual assault and abuse survivors can be so healing.

The Sexual Abuse Recovery Group is a safe, confidential therapy group where you can find support and healing with people who have experienced the same things as you have.

If any of these sound like you…

  • You are an adult woman that experienced sexually inappropriate or abusive treatment as a child or adult
  • You feel you have emotional wounds that continue to fester
  • You developed some unhealthy ways of coping that you’d like to change
  • You’re noticing some areas in your life that you suspect are affected by the abuse
  • Memories, flashbacks, nightmares, triggers, or fears are holding you back from your potential
  • You feel isolated – like no one could possibly understand

…then this group may be right for you.

While trauma therapy can be done in a group setting or in individual therapy, group therapy helps repair relationships by helping you experience trust again. You will feel a sense of community and safety that you once thought was lost forever. You can benefit from groups even during sessions when you say little, because listening is healing, too. Members may bring up an issue that strikes a chord in you that you either weren’t aware of or didn’t know how to bring up yourself.

This is a safe place to learn to trust again.<a

Topics may include:

  • Confronting and Resolving
  • Confronting Your Abusers
  • Control: A Paradox
  • Courage: Recovery’s Adhesive
  • Criticism versus Praiseworthiness
  • Cultivating Trust in Our Lives
  • Depression: The Yoke of Sexual Abuse
  • Embracing Change
  • Enjoying Life Today
  • Exploring Relationships
  • Feeling Safe and Secure
  • Giving Meaning to Your Suffering from Your Abuse
  • Holidays: Lost & Found
  • Looking Forward: Forming the Future
  • Maintaining a Relationship with a Past Perpetrator?
  • Maladaptive Patterns and Destructive Behaviors
  • Moving Beyond Resentment
  • Power of Appreciation
  • Resentments: What Do We Do with Them, What do They Do to Us?
  • Resistance: The Rusty Hinges of Recovery
  • Revenge
  • Sadness
  • Secondary Gains
  • Shame: The Clinging Residue of Abuse
  • Self-Esteem
  • Self-Sabotage
  • Self-Soothing
  • Support
  • Telling Your Story
  • Thankfulness: Placing Daily Life into Perspective
  • The Holidays: A Stress-Filled Time of the Year
  • Trust: Only If They Cherish
  • What Does It Mean to Have a Sense of Self?
  • Validating Your Memories
  • Victim to Survivor to Thriver
  • Your Experience of Recovery