Write Whole: Survivors Write
For survivors of trauma
8 Monday evenings, 6:30-9:00
Many of us who are survivors of trauma feel fragmented or disjointed and have come to believe we must always live our lives this way.
In Write Whole groups, we learn that we can live and feel whole in our experiences and desires — we create new art through writing, transforming our pains and fears into power and love.
It bears repeating: Transforming our language is one way we transform our lives. Altering and expanding our language has the effect of changing who we know ourselves to be.
In the Write Whole workshop, you’ll write in response to exercises chosen to elicit deep-heart writing, engaging with such subjects as: body image, family/community, sexuality, dreams, love, faith, and more.
Though we come together as survivors, we are never required to write any particular version of “our abuse story.” In this space, you have the opportunity to write as you feel called to write, no matter what the subject.
Although the setting is a supportive one, this workshop is different from a “support group,” as the focus of the workshop itself is on each person’s writing. We create beauty out of the sometimes extraordinarily difficult stuff of our lives.
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Hi Cheryl!
I’m working on getting these going, yes — please stay in touch/sign up for the newsletter so I can let you know when they get scheduled!
best best,
Jen
Do you ever have writing workshops ONLINE for survivors of sexual assault??
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Hi Jesse!
Thanks for visiting, for investigating, and for your comment. I totally hear your frustration — I, too, would like to see more resources for all male survivors of sexual violence. I think you have an important and necessary analysis, and I’m glad you’re bringing it to the table!
In the next year, I’d like to begin a survivors writing workshop that’s open to survivors of all genders; I’ve worked with multi-gendered groups of trauma survivors at Survivorship, and found those to be deeply powerful, not a little because men and women and third-gender folks sat together and shared their stories and made extraordinary connection.
Please stay in touch as we keep growing this work!
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Jen,
I am a straight white male who is also an incest survivor. I feel a mixture of excitement and anger right now. I am thrilled about the work you are doing in terms of using writing as a way of undoing trauma and helping folks reclaim their sexuality.
But I am also really really tired of having nothing that looks at the sexual victimization of straight men.
Do folks realize that the fundamental cause of the violence men perpetrate is the victimization of men when they are young?
So I really want to connect with you and see what can be done to move this forward.
I am totally inspired by your work and also just tired.
thanks,
Jesse
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