[Christina86]

Specifically I've got an "intake" interview tomorrow for a sexual abuse support group. It's like an hour long interview and I'd be lying if I didn't say it makes me anxious. What do you even need to know about a person for a group that takes an hour?!?

sigh. All I know for now is that it's run by two women, it's going to last 15 weeks, it's 3 hours one night a week, and it starts at the end of November.

What kind of questions am I even supposed to ask... will it even help? Will it be triggering and totally useless? I'm being irrational of course. Any thoughts, experiences, wisdom?

I participated in a group for incest survivors many years ago. I didn't have an intake interview as one of the therapists was my individual therapist, so I can't tell you much about that. I'd say you might want to ask about how the sessions will work, that kind of thing. You probably won't need to divulge much detail at this point. Details will come at your own pace down the road.

I will say that the group was one of the most profound experiences I have had in therapy. Certainly it was painful at times, but I learned to have compassion for myself by realizing how much compassion I had for the other women in the group.

I hope this will be a good experience for you.

[Christina86]

thanks farmergirl! BTW, love the avatar - love beagles.

It went ok. Was rather question-y without asking me questions about the reasons I was coming minus what I expected to get from it. It's unstructured and it's from a feminist perspective which I'm not sure about... and it's got the full range of sexual abuse/assault in one group... so that will be interesting... I figure I've got nothing to lose by going at least to the first mtg, see how that goes.

[Open Eyes]

((((((Christina86))))))

I am sure it is just a support group that was most likely started by two women that saw a need for a place where people who have been abused can connect and share and support. You may actually contribute to their efforts to offer support. I am not sure how to structure a response to abuse, because abuse isn't structured, it happens in different ways.

My husband has told me to start a support group for PTSD but I don't feel qualified to start something like that, I am really still learning myself. But it would have been nice if there was a support group around me, I tried to find one, and that is how I found PC.
I love PC, and it has helped me a lot. But it would be nice if I could also be in a group of people in the physical presence too. Maybe someday there will be such groups.

Open Eyes

[tiffy0415]

I myself have just recently gotten out of a very physically abusive relationship and i also was raped by 3 men when i lost my virginity at the age of 13 then very shortly after i was diagnosed as bipolar type 1... i do know that recently it has occured to me that if you do not get feelings and thoughts about your abuse out it only hurts you which i am sure you know.. I wish you all of the best with this support group and i hope it helps you on your recovery also im new at this forum thing lol so im sorry if i didnt write this correctly or anything