Mutual Help Groups
Crisálida’s “Mutual Help Groups” (GAM) are made up of people who share a background of sexual abuse and who meet to:
- Learn to listen and break the silence about the abuses suffered
- Achieve a greater understanding of the consequences of abuse in his personality
- Learn what the truth is about your identity and intrinsic value as a human being by strengthening self-esteem
- Unmask the lies and patterns that block your development as a person
- Receive and support each other sharing experiences, fears, desires and desires
- Learn to heal their dynamics in relationships with others, often distorted by abuse
Objectives of the groups:
The purpose is that each participant can mature, grow in freedom, learn to function better in society, unmasking the lies about himself and reality sown by abuse.
Our desire is to see the lives of those who have long been hiding their pain, sadness and tragedy flourish. It is time to live in freedom and defeat paralyzing shame.
How do Mutual Help Groups work?
Chrisalidas GAMs meet once or twice a month, composed of a maximum of ten people who have in common been affected by sexual abuse. This group is moderated by a monitor or facilitator experienced in dealing with this topic. The monitor guides them through the reading of a book and a manual in which they deepen their understanding of the consequences of abuse, meditate on the lies and behavior patterns that harm the victim and learn healthy concepts with Those who improve mental and relational health.
It consists of 10 steps towards a healthy identity:
- Face reality (understand the dimension of what has happened to you)
- Breaking the silence (learn to verbalize what happened and connect with the feelings)
- Finding support (learning to receive help making sense of our pain by helping
to others)
Tell the incident by contacting our feelings
Establish responsibility (it is vital to verify that the only fault was the aggressor)
The need for forgiveness (promote a healthy understanding of forgiveness)
Rebuild self-image and relationships
Observe others and educate
Working with our own body (it is necessary to create a new memory in the skin)
Peace for the body (learn to connect with oneself and live in the present moment)
One of the advantages of GAMs is that participants find a safe, secure and confidential environment in which they can find support and understanding from other people who have had similar experiences. They are given the opportunity to share their personal experiences, what remains to be done, express their fears, their desires and desires.
The beauty of these groups is that each of the participants can offer support, feel useful, even if only through active listening. Friendship ties are created in which support can be found on the road to restoration.