The Into The Light Model of Recovery from Sexual Abuse was formed in 1993.
We have found this to be a successful and empowering model of recovery for Survivors and is based around the principles of Trauma Informed Practice.
How Into The Light Model Of Recovery Works:
Into The Light’s model of recovery from sexual abuse is that change and healing come through:
- Giving Information
- Breaking Isolation
- Sharing Experience
Giving Psychoeducation: Results In Information Leading to Empowerment
“There have been insights and conclusions that I have drawn from the conversations and the material that I had never thought would come out of this process. The material that has been put together has been absolutely ground-breaking for me – so helpful that I am tempted to use words such as ‘mind-blowing’ and ‘sensational’.”
Male Survivor who completed Into The Light Psycho-Education Course
Research has shown that Psychoeducation involves sharing information that improves awareness and cognitive understanding. When survivors are equipped with knowledge of trauma and recovery, they are able to normalize reactions, and take control, enabling them to create an order to the chaos. (Sanderson, 2013) It is useful for women who have not previously had the opportunity to develop important life skills. Although it can be ongoing, it is suited to the early stages of therapy.
Christiane Sanderson (2013) advocates psychoeducation, as survivors can make sense of their symptoms and normalize them within the context of complex trauma. Psychoeducation, she maintains is “critical in preparing survivors for the therapeutic process, enabling them to feel more in control over their recovery and healing.”
(Source Sanderson, C. Counselling Skills for Working with Trauma: Healing from Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2013)
Psychoeducation provides information about specific topics related to sexual abuse to give additional resources or information. At Into The Light this is given in groups, workshops and one to one work.
“Although individuals and communities can display great resilience in the face of disastrous events or even ongoing harm and abuse, it is often true that such overwhelming and terrifying occurrences produce lasting distress and psychiatric impairment. Psycho-education can empower trauma survivors by validating their experience, explaining the reasons for apparently uncontrollable responses, and providing coping skills to effectively manage distress. By assisting survivors to develop compassionate self-understanding and emotional self mastery, we can help to “make the unbearable bearable.”
(Source Psychoeducation for Survivors of Trauma Bethany J. Phoenix, RN, PhD Perspectives in Psychiatric Care Vol. 43, No. 3, July, 2007)
We offer Psycho-education through a ten session course. This is available in the context of a women’s group and also individually for all genders. We also offer psycho-education in our workshops for Survivors and those that support them. This approach gives the client information as well as emotional support. Experts working with trauma and sexual abuse have found that psycho-education is extremely effective in helping Survivors to feel more in control of their emotions and more empowered to understand the impact of the abuse and possible healthy ways forward. In some cases it may also cut down the number of counselling sessions needed in order for clients to reach stability and well being.
“Just five minutes of psycho-education cuts through years of shame and stress”
Duncan Craig: CEO We Are Survivors/Trauma Therapist (PODS Magazine Vol3 No4)
“Education is an important factor in the healing of trauma”
Rebecca Midwinter, Senior Lecturer and Counsellor (BACP Magazine: Therapy Today 2011)
One Counsellor refers her clients to our workshops because she says “I tell my clients that attending one Into the Light Workshop will save them five counselling sessions”.
We have had some good feedback from clients about how the information has helped them including one Women Survivors Psycho-Educational Course Group Member:
“For anyone considering this course, I could not recommend it enough, even if you have other counselling or have tried other therapies, as there is something very special about how this course works. The only way I can describe how it has helped me, is that I feel like it has given me the combination code to unlock the mess inside that I have been unable to understand.”
Breaking Isolation: Results In Shame And Loneliness Dissipating
“Coming to this group has been the only hour in my week where I feel understood, and not alone with it all”
Into The Light Women Survivors Group Member
Research shows that women who are sexually abused may be at greater risk of loneliness and less likely to utilize their social support system (Source: Childhood sexual abuse and adult loneliness and network orientation 1996 Nov;20(11):1087-93. Gibson and Hartshorne). However, therapeutic group work has been widely used in the treatment of women with a history of childhood sexual abuse and sexual violence, as it provides Survivors with an opportunity to share their experiences with others who can relate to their trauma. Research has shown that groups provide the opportunity of collective empowerment. Though each woman is suffering and in need of help, each also has something to contribute and therefore, the group has the ability to bear and integrate traumatic experience greater than on an individual level, drawing on shared group resources to help with individual integration. ((Source Herman, J. Trauma and Recovery: The aftermath of violence – from domestic abuse to political terror. New York: Perseus Books Group 1997).
Nina Burrowes wrote a report for Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service (PARCS) who provide group support for women on their waiting list. This group provided a way of supporting them whilst they wait for therapy. This became an opportunity to meet other women, tackle isolation and give them a series of tools that will help them in their one to one therapy. Burrowes interviewed women who attended this pre-therapy group and found that being in a group reduced the sense of feeling alone and introduced a sense of belonging. They found that by learning new ways of understanding their behaviour, they were given hope that they could do something about it. They also found that they were able to see a number of things from a different perspective and felt much better equipped at going into one to one therapy.
(Source Burrowes, The courage to be me. Evaluating group therapy with survivors of rape and sexual abuse, 2013)
Other Group Facilitators reflect this too: “Group Members often report that the best thing about the groups is meeting others who make them feel normal…knowing that other reacted similarly …can be useful to help the healing from such an alienating experience.”
(Source: Sarah Morley: Group Therapist: Therapy Today November 2022)
Many Survivors come to our Into The Light groups and workshops with one strong desire and that is to meet other Survivors. One woman came to our workshop and said that she had been in therapy for twenty four years but never met another Survivor. Just attending the workshop with Survivors proved a crucial turning point.
One Into The Light Women’s Survivors Group Client reflected back to us:
“The isolation I felt was crippling and damaged any chance or a genuine trusting relationship I may have had. I started this year thinking as before that my isolation would continue and that I would merely be going through the motions of living….. However I am ending this year with more hope, thanks to my therapy. I am not naïve enough to think my battle with self doubt and depression is over; or that my relationships will suddenly become easier to deal with.
What this course has done is empower me – it has given me the tools which I can build on so that I can continue to make better life decisions and judgements. The pain of my abuse will always stay with me but I feel that its power over me is diminishing. This group therapy has made me realise that I am not alone in my pain the struggles we all shared and felt as a group is a testament to that. I will always be thankful for this therapy and every single person in my group for this life changing experience.”
“This course is invaluable – it has brought us out of isolation. The compassion and kindness, empathy and understanding shown by the Facilitators and other members has been very very healing “
Into The Light Women Survivors Group Member
Running alongside our groups and workshops is our one to one counselling which also offers the opportunity to break out of isolation.
Some of the feedback that we have had from our clients includes:
“This Into the Light ten week course has been the best thing I have ever done for my mental wellbeing. It connected with me in a way that no previous counselling or psychotherapy support ever had done. It was as if someone had designed it specifically for me. The theoretical framework gave me a structure to make sense of what was happening. I received excellent support and encouragement from my counsellor, Kasia, that helped me to push through a lot of deep emotional pain and fear.”
Male Survivor who completed Into The Light Psycho-Educational Course in one to one counselling
“I have benefitted hugely from having a safe and understanding space where I could start to unpack some of that trauma and understand how it, and other parts of my history, had led me to the behaviours and thinking patterns that were making life so challenging for me. Change in my life has been slow and steady but I left counselling feeling confident, for the first time, that I have the skills I need to look after myself mentally and emotionally.”
Female Survivor in One to One Counselling
Sharing Experience: Results In Friendships and Mutual Support And Understanding
“The course has helped me connect with others and find friends from a situation I never thought I would share with anyone”
Into The Light Women Survivors Group Member
The early Domestic Violence refuges were often staffed by volunteers who themselves had experienced abuse and who had been through the refuge. The idea that women can share their experiences of abuse to empower themselves and others is an important one. Research has shown in the Domestic Violence sector how important it is for survivors to be able to help others, and that this can help to turn their negative experiences into something positive. Research also shows that many services who encourage peer support groups and involve volunteers find the Survivors want to give something back to the services which helped them. For example, the Freedom Programme is a rolling twelve – week course that women who have experienced DV can attend as many times as they wish.
Whilst facilitated, the purpose of the group is to enable women to support each other in recognising signs of abusive behaviour and looking at safe ways to move forward. Women who had chance encounters with other survivors of domestic abuse were able to share experiences and provide mutual support. They said it was a welcome change from the usual response of ‘why did you stay so long?’
At Into The Light we have seen how powerful and meaningful the interactions between Survivors in our Women’s Survivors Groups and our all gender workshops. Often the reflection has been that by simply being together the shame and isolation begins to ease. We have also seen that the women after the Into The Light Women Survivors Group Courses have ended the Group members often form groups for themselves. Anecdotally we have heard that one group is still meeting after eight years. Another former group we have heard is supporting a member with childcare and help her she returns to education. Antoher group of former group members formed a peer group which includes offering friendship food and support around Christmas and other holidays when Survivors can find themselves alone.
Other research also shows this “The potential of therapeutic groupwork is that it encourages connection among groups and individuals who may never get to talk or interact in ‘normal’ circumstances…what better way to heal than to listen to each other and compare notes”.
(Source Sarah Morley: Group Therapist: Therapy Today November 2022)
Our Group Members have let us know how powerful it is to find connection and shared experiences with other Survivors often for the first time:
“Completing this course brought me into contact with phenomenally brave women where we shared and supported each other. This is the first time I have ever connected with other
Survivors and it is extremely reassuring and powerful where I felt heard, seen and valued.”
Into The Light Group Women Survivors Group Member
“I feel less isolated and feel like I now have other individuals to turn to for support who will truly understand as they’ve had the same experiences.”
Into The Light Women Survivors Group Member
Please contact us for more information about our Workshops, Courses, and Counselling which incorporate this model of Giving Information, Breaking Isolation and Sharing Experiences.