Into the Light blogs

You are probably not alone – even if you are not going through trauma recovery – just switching on Breakfast TV can make us feel extremely anxious.   There are ways we can learn how to calm ourselves and this is by learning how to regulate our nervous system and return […]

Celebrity Big Brother is back next week.  This is about people who volunteer to be filmed 24/7 in a house they cannot leave – and the rewards are – publicity – more fame – and of course money!  But what if you have been trapped in a house that you […]

Adolescence the Netflix Series is very much in the media and questions have even been asked in Parliament about the issues it raises.  It is a gritty and thought provoking series about young people, social media, bullying and the tragedy of peer violence which culminates in the murder of a […]

This week marked five years since the first lockdown of the pandemic of 2020.  For most people the lockdown was a shocking and difficult experience.  Our lives were affectively put on hold and we were very limited in what we could do.  Many people felt lonely.  For some Survivors of […]

Next week we have our Spring Into The Light Women Survivors Group Psycho-Educational Course starting and we are very excited about the journey this group will take.  The ten week topic based course has been running for over 30 years and we have had some excellent feedback from the women […]

This week we are celebrating International Women’s Day. And whilst we can celebrate the incredible strength, resilience, and achievements of women around the world we also need to acknowledge the sad reality that violence against women is still an all too present grim reality for many women.  Here in the […]

2-8th March is a week that is focused on ending Domestic and Sexual Violence and is called NO MORE WEEK. Sadly Domestic Violence is very common for women and also for men.  You may be concerned about a friend or colleague that you think may be experiencing violence but you […]

And whatever you think about watching soaps you can’t deny that they raise issues that can be trailblazing – gets people talking and sometimes evens changes the way society thinks and acts. Eastenders has not shied away from sexual violence and child abuse which has been really positive in opening […]

The 3rd to the 9th of February is Sexual Violence And Abuse Awareness Week, this week was founded by Yehudis Goldsobel. An incredible Advocate for Survivors. This is a  week to focus everyone in the UK to stand with Survivors and  raise awareness around issues of Sexual Violence.    #ITSNOTOK  is […]

We delivered training to the excellent counsellors at Hounslow Youth Counselling Service on Saturday 25th January on Working With Survivors Of Sexual Abuse.  The counsellors were so mature engaged and skilled – and it was so heartening to see how committed they are to young people.  We had some lovely […]

We are now forming our next Into The Light Women Survivors Group Psycho-Educational Course.  Here are some of the benefits of attending: Opportunity of forming deep lasting friendships Here are the details: The times of the course are 7.00 – 8.30 pm Venue: Hybrid. 7 Sessions On Line 3 Session […]

We are so excited!! We are planning our new April Workshop at the moment.  This is open to Survivors and their supporters including partners, friends and mental health professionals. The theme and title of the workshop is “Processing Feelings, Power Dynamics and Post Traumatic Growth” A Workshop Looking At Shame, […]

Christmas invokes so many feelings. As the external temperature goes down,  internal emotions tend to rise, bringing it with it anticipation, excitement and for some people – dread. For Survivors of sexual abuse (or in fact any abuse) within a family or close social circle Christmas is often an extremely […]

Kasia and Rebecca have just finished facilitating our Autumn Women Survivors Group Psycho-Educational Course – a ten week topic based course for Survivors of Sexual abuse as a young person or child. The course has gone so well and we are so proud of all the women who attended.  We […]

We had such a great workshop on Saturday 9th November for Survivors and their Supporters called  “Tackling Triggers Together” A Workshop On Finding Confidence Around Shame, Feeling Overwhelmed, Sexuality, And Loneliness For Survivors Of Sexual Abuse And Their Supporters. Thank you so much to everyone who came and who was […]

For those of us who are Survivors it can be very hard to reconnect with our body.  This could be because as the abuse may have affected us physically, we can feel very confused about how we feel about our bodies – possibly loosing contact with that part of ourselves […]

We are delighted to have been chosen as a project for the Co-Op Local Community Fund. It doesn’t cost you a penny and you can be anywhere in the UK – you just have to request your points go to our cause. Cause Number 93395. Here is the link: https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/93395 […]

Sadly, victims of abuse can internally carry the shame that belongs to the abuser. Penny Parks says in her book “Rescuing The Inner Child”: “The aggressor projects the blame and guilt onto the child and the child accepts that projection as truth.  It is like life imprisonment for a crime […]

If you are feeling overwhelmed or disassociated perhaps try this technique to bring yourself into the present. Look: Look at 5 things around you: Look at some calming pictures on your phone or perhaps have a grounding image as a screensaver  or look at your surroundings and try and notice […]

Grounding can provide us with a really good antidote to the overwhelming feelings of being triggered or when flashbacks of the past occur. Getting Skilled Up In Grounding If you are experiencing feeling dysregulated, triggered or even experiencing a  flashback these grounding ideas may help you to feel more stable […]

Healing from a trauma such as sexual assault or abuse happens in stages. For some people after the trauma they shut down the feelings and these only re emerge many years later. Then, sometimes, all those feelings come roaring back.   When the fear, the anger, the sadness, the helplessness, the […]