| photo: Aurora Meneghello | ||||||
| Read the Incest Survivors' Aftereffects Checklist here! |
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There are many resources available to survivors of incest/sexual abuse. Those listed below are but a small number of those resources. We at Mandorla Pictures encourage you to seek out professional help on your road to recovery. We in no way endorse any of the below or recommend any one of the below above any other but, as in all paths of healing, encourage you to do your own research and trust yourself. The Courage to Heal - 3rd Edition - Revised and Expanded: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis The Courage to Heal is an inspiring, comprehensive guide that offers hope and encouragement to every woman who, was sexually abused as a child -- and those who care about her. Although the effects of child sexual abuse are long-term and severe, healing is possible. The authors weave personal experience with professional knowledge to show the reader how she can come to terms with her past while moving powerfully into the future. They provide clear explanations, practical suggestions, a map of the healing journey, and many moving first-person examples of the recovery process drawn from their interviews with hundreds of survivors. Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal by Belleruth Naparstek (Author), Robert C. Scaer (Foreword) From Publishers Weekly: In the wake of 9/11, there was much media coverage of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD—the long-term stress response whose symptoms include chronic pain, nightmares and panic attacks—and how to treat it. Naparstek, a therapist for more than 30 years, is an advocate of guided imagery, as opposed to talk therapy, and in this book she uses case histories to illustrate how it works; she also looks at recent research on the brain that shows why this method is effective and offers step-by-step instructions on using guided imagery, which she defines as "deliberate, directed daydreaming," for healing trauma. According to Naparstek, trauma damages the left brain, which is language oriented, and talking about the trauma can actually worsen symptoms. Imagery, on the other hand affects the right brain, the seat of the emotions. Guided imagery is "fast, powerful, costs little or nothing," says the author; it can be done alone or in groups, with the help of tapes that walk the stress victim through the process of finding images that help heal the trauma. Clinicians will find the entire book useful; people seeking help may not need explanations of the biochemical processes underlying PTSD, but will respond to Napartek's passionate advocacy of a simple, gentle healing method. Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse by Mike Lew For millions of men on the path to recovery, Victims No Longer is the next step. The first book written specifically for men, Victims No Longer examines the changing cultural attitudes toward male survivors of incest and other sexual trauma. Now, in this Second Edition, this invaluable resource continues to offer compassionate and practical advice, supported by personal anecdotes and statements of male survivors. Victims No Longer helps survivors to: • Identify and validate their childhood experiences • Explore strategies of survival and healing • Work through issues such as trust, intimacy, and sexual confusion • Establish a support network for continued personal recovery • Make choices that aren't determined by abuse Psychotherapist Mike Lew has worked with thousands of men and women in their healing from the effects of childhood sexual abuse, rape, physical violence, emotional abuse, and neglect. The development of strategies for recovery from incest and other abuse, particularly for men, has been a major focus of his work as a counselor and group leader. Thoroughly updated and revised, and including an expanded Resources section, Victims No Longer educates survivors and professionals about the recovery process -- speaking to the pain, needs, fears, and hopes of the adult male survivor. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network http://www.rainn.org/ National Sexual Assault Hotline 1.800.656.HOPE (4673) The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization and has been ranked as one of “America’s 100 Best Charities by Worth magazine. Among its programs, RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline. This nationwide partnership of more than 1,100 local rape treatment hotlines provides victims of sexual assault with free, confidential services around the clock. The hotline helped 137,039 sexual assault victims in 2005 and has helped more than one million since it began in 1994. Survivors of Incest Anonymous http://www.siawso.org/ SIA is a self-help group of women and men, 18 years or older, who are guided by a set of 12 Suggested Steps and 12 Traditions, along with some slogans and the Serenity Prayer. There are no dues or fees. Everything that is said, in the group meeting or member to member, must be held in strict confidence. We do not have any professional therapist working in our group. SIA is not a replacement for therapy or any other professional service when needed. The only requirement for membership is that you are a victim of child sexual abuse, and you are not abusing any child. We define incest very broadly as a sexual experience by a family member or by an extended family member that damaged the child. "Extended family" may include an aunt, uncle, in-law, step-parent, cousin, friend of the family, teacher, coach, another child, clergy or anyone that you were led to trust. We believe we were affected by the abuse whether it occurred once or many times since the damage is incurred immediately. Voices In Action http://www.voices-action.org/ Voices In Action is an international organization providing assistance to adult and adolescent victims of child sexual abuse and sexual trauma. We help victims become survivors and create accurate public awareness of the prevalence of child sexual abuse, its impact, and ways in which it can be prevented or stopped through educational programs. Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA) (US) http://www.ascasupport.org/ ASCA is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco. ASCA supports and assists survivors of child abuse to move-on with our lives, gently encouraging us to transform our self-identities from victims, to survivors, to thrivers. In addition, ASCA was created with the intention of guaranteeing all survivors of childhood abuse, irrespective of their financial situation, with access to a superior program focused on recovery from childhood abuse. We offer ASCA to all members of the survivor community, as well as to professionals and organizations working with survivors of child abuse. ASCA does not charge a fee for anyone to participate or download and use any of our materials. If you find the materials and interaction beneficial and helpful, we do ask that you consider forwarding a donation, thus joining us in our mutual mission to continue to reach out to other survivors. It takes a caring community to continue to build a stronger caring community of survivors of child abuse. One In Four http://www.oneinfour.org/ One in Four offers a voice to and support to men and women who have experienced sexual abuse and/or sexual violence and also to their family and friends. We provide a unique service to individuals, both directly and indirectly. Directly, through individual psychotherapy, group therapy, advocacy/support, open evenings, and 24 hour support through our online message boards. Indirectly through campaigning, policy making, in-house research, training, and consultancy work with statutory and non statutory agencies. In Ireland research has shown that one in four children (27%) will experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. Society has thus far been unwilling to face up to the deep rooted nature of this problem or the sheer scale of the long term damage it leaves in its wake. Our determined aim is to change this. The Next Step http://www.nextstepcounseling.org/index.htm The Next Step Counseling and Training Centers offers individual therapy, couples counseling, group therapy and clinical supervision as well as experiential workshops, professional trainings and public lectures. A primary focus of the work at The Next Step is adult male recovery from the effects of sexual child abuse and other trauma. Great resource for links to other organizations. MaleSurvivor www.malesurvivor.org National organization against Male Sexual Victimization. An organization that provides resources and programs that help men and boys overcome victimization. The Awareness Center www.theawarenesscenter.org An organization dedicated to addressing childhood sexual abuse in Jewish communities around the world. The Catharsis Foundation www.catharsisfoundation.org Catharsis Foundation encourages people to tell. Please visit www.catharsisfoundation.org for more information. Into the Light www.intothelight.org.uk Into The Light is a group in the United Kingdom whose philosophy is that change and healing come through giving information, breaking isolation and sharing experience. The group has expanded to include training and resources for people who support men and women whose lives have been touched by sexual abuse. ASCA (Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse) (AU) http://www.asca.org.au/index.html ASCA (Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse) is a national not for profit organisation of survivors supporting other survivors. ASCA's door is open to anyone (over 18) who feels they have suffered abuse - physical, emotional, sexual or spiritual. Through an Australia-wide support network - online, phone and face-to-face, monthly newsletter, 1300 information line (1300 657 380), and counselor-facilitated programs, workshops, awareness events and this website, ASCA helps to break down the sense of isolation and alienation many survivors feel, validates survivors' experiences and encourages trust. We have a number of psychologists/counselors who help us in our work. A Boy's Story A Matter of Truth (Clergy Abuse) Abuse Empowered Survive Thrive (UK) The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) Bishop Accountability (Catholic Clergy Abuse) Center for Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence (Clergy Abuse) Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health (WA) Colchester Rape Crisis Line (CRCL) (UK) Cornwall Survivors (UK) Covert Incest CRIPHASE (in French) Darkness to Light Deliver Us From Evil (Academy Award nominated documentary film) (Clergy Abuse) Enough Abuse Family Crisis Network (WA) Fire in Ice (UK) From Darkness to Light Gift From Within Help for Adult Victims of Child Abuse (HAVOCA) (UK) If He Is Raped (Japan) Incest Survivors Anonymous (ISA) Innermotion Innocence in Danger (English) Innocence en Danger (Français) Innocence in Danger (Deutsch) Interfaith Sexual Trauma Institute (ISTI) Jewish Alliance to Heal and Stop Sexual Abuse (JAHSSA) Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect Kim's Safe Place The Lantern Project (UK) Lower Valley Crisis & Support Services (WA) MaleSurvivor (Formerly NOMSV) Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust - MSSAT (New Zealand) Men's Initiative for Jane Doe Inc. (MIJD) Men's Resource Center Men's Resources International Men Web - Men's Issues Mind - Aberystwyth (Wales) Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA) National Men's Resource Center National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault (NYCAASA) Partners of Adults Sexually Abused as Children (PASAC) Rainbow Male Survivors Network (RMSN) (Australia) Recovery Canada Respond (Survivors with Learning Disabilities) (UK) Riding Grace (book) Safer Society Foundation Sexual Abuse Centre (New Zealand) Sexual Abuse of Males: Prevalence, Lasting Effects, and Resources (book) Sexually Abused Males Surviving (SAMS) (Canada) Sidran Traumatic Stress Foundation Stop Prisoner Rape Strong at the Heart (book) (Teens and Young Adults) Survivor Connections Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Survivors Fellowship London (UK) Survivors Sheffield (UK) Survivors Swindon (UK) Survivors UK: For Male Victims of Sexual Abuse (UK) Survivors And Victims Empowered (SAVE) Survivors on the Net (UK) Survivorsresource (Russia - in Russian and English) Survivors West Yorkshire (UK) The ChildTrauma Academy The Invisible Boy: Revisioning the Victimization of Male Children & Teens (book) Thrive (Scotland) Twist of Faith (Academy Award nominated documentary film) (Clergy Abuse) Trauma, Alcoholism, and Substance Abuse Wings Foundation |
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