Over the years, we have grown our support for survivors of violence. Our approach is to treat each survivor and each situation of harm as unique.  We strive to accompany survivors in discerning what kind of support they need, finding modalities to facilitate their healing, and helping them determine what type of action or advocacy they want to engage in. Along these lines, we provide: 

 

• One-on-one conversations to support survivors who have experienced any harm for immediate support and to connect them to resources.

• Support groups for survivors of violence, both online and in person. At present, we have two closed groups: 

  • 1) “SACRED: A Healing Group for Survivors of Sexual Abuse in Childhood,” which takes place in person and utilizes acupuncture, acupressure, rebozo (shawl binding) work, altar work, and related modalities for self-healing and mind-body connection. 

  • 2) A year-long, biweekly, online support group for parents who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

  • Past groups have included: 1) ROOTS: Reclaiming Our Own True Stories – a 6-month support group for BIPOC of all genders who identify as survivors of all types of sexual violence to process their experiences of harm and healing through storytelling, group circle process, and creative expression. 2) Victim Offender Dialogue Program Monthly Online Survivor Support Groups - an online support group for survivors of all types of violence who are active or previous participants in The Ahimsa Collective Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) program. 

 

• Victim Offender Dialogues (VODs): A VOD is a face-to-face meeting between the person who was harmed and the person responsible for the harm who is currently incarcerated or on parole in California.

• Restorative Justice in the Community (RJC) processes: A facilitated process taking place entirely outside the criminal legal system between harmed and responsible parties to foster accountability and healing. 

• Public speaking and advocacy: We offer opportunities for survivors to publicly share their experiences of harm in victim awareness groups in prisons, at conferences, webinars, community events, or in classroom settings. There are also opportunities for survivors to connect to organizations doing advocacy work to strengthen the movement of survivors interested in safety and healing without reliance on punishment. 

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Therapeutic Support

 

For some, therapy can be a critical support during challenging times. Unfortunately, in our society, it is an inaccessible resource for large portions of the population. At The Ahimsa Collective, we strive to provide this service for individuals participating in our programs free of charge. We prioritize individuals who historically have not had access to therapeutic services – this includes individuals who are poor or working class, BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, disabled, immigrants, undocumented, survivors of violence, formerly incarcerated, etc. If you are currently a participant in a program at The Ahimsa Collective and are interested in learning more about therapy, please get in touch with the head of that program or connect with us at contact@ahimcacollective.net. Please note: Due to capacity, we can only provide this service to a limited number of individuals.