Group Counselling supports clients in re-connecting to community. The Group Counselling Program at SACE currently offers six processing-based counselling groups, outlined below. A psychoeducation group called Skills for Change is also offered to anyone on the waitlist to access counselling. An additional offering for partners and supporters of individuals who have experienced sexual violence is available as an online course delivered by the SACE Public Education Program.

Our counselling groups: 

All counselling programs at SACE are rooted within the triphasic model of healing first outlined by Judith Herman in Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence (1992). This model asserts that supporting clients impacted by sexual violence first requires establishing safety and stabilization. This occurs when clients participate both in Skills for Change and in early stages of counselling. Following this, in phase two clients are supported in processing the impacts of their traumatic experiences. The third phase, supported by our Group Counselling Program, is re-engagement with meaningful activities and reconnection to community. While healing is not linear and movement between stages is anticipated, creating opportunities for connection is essential to supporting ongoing growth.

Moments of Learning

In order to ensure that clinical staff receive consistent support navigating the nuances of providing group therapy, this year we implemented a consultation at the mid-point of groups. The groups generally begin at around the same time each year, so all those facilitating group will have a sense of any unique challenges within their group at around the same time. From these conversations, counsellors shared feedback from participants as well as their own perspectives about the duration of the groups.

Across groups, participants consistently express the wish for groups to continue for a longer period of time. The counsellors also shared that they felt that running the groups longer would be of greater benefit to the clients we serve. Best practice in group therapy research indicates that process-based counselling groups should run for longer than SACE groups have historically run for. This allows for a deeper development of group cohesion and collective processing. In response to this feedback, we have elected to extend our core groups. Over the coming months the curriculum of each group will be extended to run for 10-14 sessions. We are excited to gather feedback from clients and staff as these changes are implemented.

Elder support within the Wîwîp’son Healing from Sexual Trauma Circle for Indigenous Women was initially done with collaboration from Buffalo Sage, a community residential facility for conditionally released and federally sentenced Indigenous women. Over the course of this past year, we also ran a pilot group for the women living at Buffalo Sage. This group was collaboratively developed by a SACE counsellor and SACE Indigenous liaison, with input from an Elder. It was introduced to the women at Buffalo Sage through a pipe ceremony led by an Elder. The pilot saw 13 women express interest and commitment to attending. At the conclusion of this group, the participants named the group “Reclaiming Otipaymsowin”, which speaks to being the boss of oneself or to self-leadership. Following this initial group, SACE and Buffalo Sage continued to expore ongoing opportunities for collaboration. The importance of Reclaiming Otipaymsowin was indicated by both agencies, and SACE committed to continuing to facilitate this group as a monthly drop-in group at Buffalo Sage. 

SACE has also committed to completing content development for a post-court support group. While there are a number of factors that still need to be determined for this group, we are excited to run a pilot in fall 2023. This group will create a unique space for adults impacted by sexual violence who have navigated the legal system as an outcome of these experiences.

After an experience of sexual violence, people often feel isolated and alone. When these experiences and feelings are kept inside, shame can thrive. Group counselling at SACE creates small pockets of community where individuals feel safe to share with peers about their experiences of sexual violence. Two specific examples of community impact through community creation within the group counselling program at SACE this year are Men’s Group and Reclaiming Otipaymsowin.  

We often hear from participants at the beginning Men’s Group that sharing their experiences of sexual violence with other men holds potential to be one of the most difficult yet important pieces of their healing journey. In 2022-2023, we saw several participants in Men’s Group who returned to complete this group for a second time after having completed it in previous years. To us, this indicates that the group is succeeding in creating community and sustained connection for men who have experienced sexual violence.  

Another example of community impact from the group counselling program this year is Reclaiming Otipaymsowin. Research consistently indicates that at least 50% of people in prison have histories of sexual abuse, with even higher prevalence rates for Indigenous women in prison (Bodkin et al., 2019; Native Women’s Association of Canada, 2023). Because of the restrictive nature of prisons, incarcerated individuals can experience challenges with accessing external community supports. The creation of a group specifically for residents at Buffalo Sage Wellness House brought community support to where it is greatly needed, and created a space for incarcerated women with histories of sexual violence to take the next step toward healing.