Care from Clare is a peer support group, aimed at female survivors of sexual violence who are aged 16 or above. The group meets on Wednesday evenings from 7pm-9pm in the city centre.
There are no counsellors as part of Care from Clare; it is a peer support group where the women all help and support each other. The immediate mutual understanding that is shared by female survivors of sexual violence enables this format to benefit all. Clare has managed the project for over a year now. After really seeing the benefits of a group environment whilst attending group therapy for survivors of sexual abuse, she decided to set her own group up. Whilst this is her own project, she is not ‘in charge’; she facilitates the group so that everyone can have their say.
The topics discussed by the group vary week to week because the group talks about what they want to. Common themes are an event about sexual violence, how society treats sexual violence and mental health problems that occur due to, or are enhanced by, experiences of sexual violence. Most of the women who attend the group have been judged, their cases haven’t been taken forward by the police and others don’t understand the difficulties faced daily in functioning with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). At Care from Clare, the women realise that there are other people “like me” who are feeling exactly the same way. The group often finds that everyone nods and quickly understands each other. Simple phrases like “that’s okay” help because they come from women who understand and recognise that feeling or acting a certain way is only normal, given their experiences.
Clare said, “I want to help empower these women so they don’t feel so alone” and she can see how beneficial the group is for the women. A huge part of this is giving the women their voices back. Care from Clare is a small group, with three to six women attending each week. This group size means that everyone can talk, which is incredibly important due to the nature of the group. Many of the women who attend previously won’t have been able to get two words in; here, each attendee is given at least 20 minutes of her own time. This is because the group recognises that everyone needs the time and space to tell their own story. This helps to give women their power back; they see that what they have to say is important. Even if women don’t turn up every week, several have commented that knowing that support is readily available really helps them.
One woman who regularly attends the support group said, “I began attending the group earlier in the year. After attending the group for around 6 months now I have never looked back. It is finally a place I feel safe and, as its peer support, you feel understood and not alone. My peers, which have now become my friends, have helped me through the darkest times, to see light in the dark and in fact there is a purpose to life again. Finally comprehending that sexual violence is not our fault and not feeling guilty anymore. But the most important aspect for me was finally feeling that I was believed.”
For more information about Care from Clare, please visit their website - http://www.carefromclare.co.uk/.