Supporting Trauma Survivors
Even the most well-meaning people can be at a loss for what to do or say when a friend or family member discloses that they are in an abusive relationship or have been sexually assaulted. Sometimes well-intentioned efforts at support can actually be disempowering and confusing. This workshop will explore some ways to be empowering and resourceful in the event that someone tells you they've been the victim of domestic or sexual violence. Crisis counselor Carolyn Zaikowski and radical law student Chris Logue will lead a practical discussion about the empowerment model, the legal system and how to best respond to disclosures of abuse.
details
- when: saturday, april 16th, 2011, from 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
- to attend: Please see the info page for more information on attending any of the workshops at the 2011 Boston Skillshare.
- facilitated by: Carolyn Z and Chris Logue
lesson plan
The first half of our workshop will focus on empowerment and communication and will include a discussion of common responses to disclosure of assault or abuse; exploration of the basic idea of empowerment; and a discussion of the empowerment model as a tool for effectively responding to disclosures of sexual assault or domestic abuse.
In the second half of the workshop, we will try to make the empowerment model more concrete. Carolyn and Chris will role play several scenarios where one person is disclosing abuse to another. We will then explore the ways that the conversation was disempowering and how it could be made more empowering. Some attention will be given to the unique ways that members of radical communities may disclose, and respond to disclosures of, abuse.
facilitator experience
Carolyn Zaikowski studied psychology and women's studies as an undergraduate and recently received her MFA in Creative Writing. She has been involved in crisis counseling and anti-violence outreach for over ten years. Chris Logue is really close to being a lawyer. For the past three years he has been working directly with victims of domestic and sexual violence on a range of civil and criminal legal issues.
intended audience
Anyone and everyone is encouraged to attend this workshop. Attendees should be aware, however, that we will be discussing some very serious and potentially triggering topics. We'll talk about this explicitly at the beginning of the workshop and we will make every attempt to make all attendees feel safe and comfortable.