Virtual Support Group for Women Sexual Abuse Survivors

Are you a woman who is a sexual abuse survivor and are looking for a safe place to talk with a community of women who have been there too? Well, you have found the right group! In this group, we talk about our struggles or issues and help each other through it with support and empathy.

This group is hosted by the nonprofit organization &Rise. &Rise offers free weekly support groups that are 100% private, 100% confidential, and 100% supportive! We offer groups in-person (In Chicago) and, several virtual weekly options as well.

Please note, this is not a therapy group but a peer led community of women survivors supporting and talking with one another about their experiences and healing. This group is for women who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, coercion, etc.

We have an amazing group of ladies that are kind and know what you are going through. You do not have to suffer alone or suffer in silence, we are here for you! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Kindly note that for students or those requiring letters or signatures for observations, it is essential to inform the support group facilitator in advance and provide a minimum of one week for processing. We cannot ensure the issuance of letters or signatures within a timeframe shorter than 7 days. Additionally, please be aware of a $10 charge associated with attending our groups as a student. This fee covers administrative costs for paperwork and group occupancy. Failure to process payment through our portal may result in the non-release of your documents. To make the payment, please visit: https://www.womenrisechicago.org/donate

• Group Rules:

1. Confidentiality - what you say in this room, stays in this room. Please respect group members' privacy. To ensure confidentiality, please be in a private space or wear headphones to respect others' privacy. We also ask that you keep your camera on for the duration of the group.
2. Respect - group members are expected to listen without interrupting, take turns speaking, and speak without judgment. Please keep yourself muted unless you’re speaking. And please also raise your Zoom hand when you’d like to speak.
3. Language - avoid language that will be offensive to others, certain language can be triggering to others please be mindful. If offensive language continues you will be asked to leave the group.
4. Promptness - Meetings will begin and end on time, please arrive on time to avoid distractions.
5. Support - we are here to support you so if you need to speak about anything privately please feel free to send us a private message through the chat feature.
6. It’s okay to share personal experiences but refrain from telling others what they “SHOULD” do because we want to ensure that survivors know they have power in their own decisions.
7. You are free to speak when you’d like but please be mindful of giving all other participants the space to speak as well.
8. Inclusion - We welcome all women including those who identify as transgender. Please be respectful of people’s pronouns and gender identity.
9. We encourage our community to connect outside of the group, however, there should be boundaries on how much you help others and try to help others before helping yourself.
10. If you already donated, thank you! There are costs to running this meeting. Meetup charges us a fee for using their website, plus there’s the cost for our Zoom account, so if you have just a few dollars, every dollar helps our organization. Donations can be a single dollar bill or a couple of them. But this is only if you have the money to spare. If you don’t have it, do not worry about it. Empowering women through free counseling and free support groups
11. Please do not use Zoom chat to share personal experiences or comment on anyone’s share. Short phrases of support are OK, such as “welcome to the group,” or “we are here for you,” but please keep them very short and minimal. Sharing resources such as books, podcasts, or creative outlets is welcome in the chat. Use sparingly.
12. Promptness - Meetings will begin and end on time, please arrive on time. Participants will not be allowed into the meeting if they are more than 15 minutes late to avoid distractions.
13. Please refrain from asking participants questions about their shares. We want to ensure everyone feels safe sharing without pressure, interrogation, or intrusive questioning.

Mutual Respect Policy & Agreement

Please review our Mutual Respect Policy before attending this support group:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zTccklzDD6ck4-RUJz2-heMqJwqo_ACx_hD33rJt2Xk/edit?usp=sharing

By registering for this event, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms outlined in the Mutual Respect Policy.

To sign up for event updates, inspiring stories, or to learn more about how &Rise empowers women please visit our website at www.womenrisechicago.org or add us on IG: @and_rise_ and Facebook: @womenrisechicago

If you register for a group and can no longer attend please CANCEL your ticket to open a space for another participant.

Just a heads up that each session is limited to 15 participants. If the group is full, please try registering for an upcoming session — we’d love to have you then.