The cardinal has special meaning to Joanna. To her, it represents hope above all else. Hope and grace. It also means boldness and the beginning of something new. Let that be you.
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We Are Here For Each Other...Sadly, there are not nearly enough peer support group meetings for adult survivors of child abuse as there are 12-step group meetings for addicts of every type. Jo is one such survivor for whom there was no peer support group. But there is now.
In Nov 2017, Jo created her own peer support group for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse in Greensboro, NC, called “Survivors Anonymous.” Her intention was to fill that blatant void of non-existent support groups for survivors in this area and others. Survivors Anonymous is currently a private Meetup group with weekly meetings based on the principles and resources of the ASCA (Adult Survivors of Child Abuse) Program, a Morris Center program for healing from the trauma of childhood abuse. |
Our Purpose |
"I had an amazing time and so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and attended a meetup. I thank all of you for being so kind, loving and supportive towards me. I needed that more than you could ever know."
We witness amazing transformations and experience touching insights at practically every meeting. We share vulnerably from our hearts and listen compassionately to each other’s personal journeys, pains and gains. The ASCA materials guide us through the Stages and Steps of healing. They provide us with plenty of topics with which we can relate and discuss openly, such as "Self-Soothing," "Cultivating Trust in Our Lives," "Courage: Recovery's Adhesive," and many more. Jo created Survivors Anonymous, a private Meetup group, with a tender loving heart for such people. Member comments include (used by permission): 1: "Thanks for the great group. I will be there every week. I feel better already!!" 2: "Awesome! I’m glad you found your family within our group." 1: "Yes I did. The best group I ever been to and I am so thankful." "I never heard another person talk about having no family! It’s so hard but now I know someone else like me!" "I enjoyed tonight and am glad I attended. Thanks for listening." "Tonight proved to be another "just what we needed" experience. I want to thank each of you for being there tonight. I am grateful." "It was nice to see everyone last night and thank you for being there and sharing. Be kind and gentle to yourself. Much love." "Looking forward to my first attendance tonight! Let me say I am just pleased that such a group is supported in Greensboro." :-) |
Our Vision |
It’s a sad and terrible situation that Adult Survivors of Child Abuse do not have access to anything like this peer support group in the entire state of North Carolina, except Raleigh, as far as we know, let alone the Triad area, which includes Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem.
But, if and when Jo’s vision becomes reality, it won’t always be that way. Survivors will learn to thrive. Healing can occur outside the therapist’s office and among new, healthy friends. Already we shared information about our group on Facebook and a survivor in Charlotte wants to start a group there. We're excited! Therapists we’ve contacted in the Greensboro area are excited that a peer support group is available to their clients who need it. Some are even offering to share news of our group with a network of colleagues. This group isn’t going to stay small and localized for long. One therapist replied, "Thank you for all the information! I look forward to sharing it. This is a much needed resource for our area, for sure." Even a small, local peer support group makes a huge contribution to the community. But, Jo has a powerful vision for Survivors Anonymous, and herself, that extend way beyond one, two or even three peer support groups. Right now, I can get a booklet of several AA 12-Step meetings where I could pick which day and time works best for me. |
Jo's Story |
Jo envisions a time when Survivors Anonymous meetings will be just as prevalent. In addition, she is taking steps to pursue her dream of becoming a social worker so she can help even more people in a real, caring, and tangible way, which for her means going back to school to earn her degree as well as networking to gain some real-world experience in that field.
Listen to Jo's Story Here on SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) Blog Radio: NAASCA's SCAN Radio - Episode 2103 |
Dwight's Story |
Dwight is a survivor of childhood emotional neglect. “My parents divorced when I was 3 years old and my mother was the custodial parent. She had a drinking problem and was totally unavailable emotionally. When I attempted to talk her, her responses were cliché and dismissive. I felt like I wasn’t worth her time or attention.” Such neglect left Dwight feeling unworthy of love or even the title of survivor.
Looking back on his life, he sees how it was a perfect setup for relationship storms: three failed marriages and few close friends. He started recovery in the only path he became aware of, 12-Step Al-Anon meetings and talk therapy. With the help of others, he adopted an emphasis on "inner child" awareness and integration based on the works of John Bradshaw and Alice Miller. Dwight gratefully points to a particular in-patient program at the Caron Foundation (Wernersville, PA) for adult children of alcoholics where his involvement in group psychodramas enabled leaps in his recovery. However, he discovered years later his healing journey still wasn't over when he experienced a dark period of financial and spiritual bankruptcy. "My journey has now come full circle, as I combine my healing and spiritual growth with my computer skills and small business marketing toward one aim: helping other adult survivors of child abuse get the peer support they need." All his life and career experiences came together harmoniously when Dwight was asked to be the Co-Organizer of the Survivors Anonymous Group, a private Meetup group for Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse. Along with the group's founder, Joanna Price, the goal is to take this platform nationwide, and perhaps more. Listen to the Whole Story at SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) Blog Radio... NAASCA's SCAN Radio - Episode 2080 |
Thank you for your interest, your time, and your compassion.
Please share this website with all your friends.
We want the word about Survivors Anonymous to go far and wide.
Thank you for your interest, your time, and your compassion.
Please share this website with all your friends.
We want the word about Survivors Anonymous to go far and wide.
Notes:
(1) There are only two support groups listed in ASCA’s directory for North Carolina at the time of this writing: one in Raleigh, and “Survivors Anonymous,” the one Jo created in Greensboro, NC.
(2) Although the group membership is anonymous, Jo and Dwight agreed to share our identities and some information about our abuses for the purpose of raising awareness about the need for peer support groups and specifically the existence of this group in the Greensboro NC area. No one’s actual name, gender, age, or any other identifying information is used. Our priority is on creating a environment in which to safely experience vulnerability with caring peer support.
Notes:
(1) There are only two support groups listed in ASCA’s directory for North Carolina at the time of this writing: one in Raleigh, and “Survivors Anonymous,” the one Jo created in Greensboro, NC.
(2) Although the group membership is anonymous, Jo and Dwight agreed to share our identities and some information about our abuses for the purpose of raising awareness about the need for peer support groups and specifically the existence of this group in the Greensboro NC area. No one’s actual name, gender, age, or any other identifying information is used. Our priority is on creating a environment in which to safely experience vulnerability with caring peer support.
We are a work in progress!!
Not only are we working on ourselves, we're working on this website to add more useful information.