Not Alone is a trauma information group for adult gay men who have experienced sexual abuse in childhood. It is an 8-week online pilot program for 8 - 15 attendees using a secure online platform. The group offers participants an opportunity to understand how trauma impacts them today and provides trauma information in the context of establishing safety. A counsellor advocate is someone who has special training in listening and helping people after experiencing sexual assault or abuse.
They support people no matter how long ago the sexual violence happened. The group will run weekly from 20 February to 10 April When: Thursday afternoons, 3pm - 5pm. Where: Online. The group will be run online to ensure that people who live in regional and rural areas can easily attend. This pilot program was created in response to the inspiring advocacy of two gay men who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse, who called for more support options for gay men who have experienced sexual violence.
Why is the evaluation important? We hope that if this group is helpful, we can use the feedback from the evaluation to refine it further and apply for funding to run it again in the future for more people. In the past, groups have been for survivors that have already received therapeutic support from a specialist service. This group is specifically for people who have not received extensive support or information on sexual violence.
Do I need to identify as a gay man to attend this group? Yes, for this pilot you will need to self-identify as a gay man. You can be at any stage of your sexual identity journey. Do I need to share what happened to me as a child? In this style of group, attendees do not share experiences of abuse or violence in detail.
Some may choose to share the impacts they experienced but only if they want to. This is so the content feels manageable for everyone attending. This is different to talking about detailed incidents. Facilitators ensure a trauma-informed approach to maintain a space that is safe for all participants. Do I need to be at home to attend the group? No, but you will need to be in quiet and private space to participate in the group. Yes, there is an expectation that all attendees will try to attend each session.
