Mothers supporting mothers

Most sexual abuse takes place within homes.

In fact, it is usually committed by someone who is trusted by the child.

At Help our therapy model involves working not only with the child but also their non-offending parent/caregiver to restore the child’s sense of safety in the world. 

At the same time we recognise that the mothers of children who have been sexually abused need as much support as we can give them too.  The anger, disbelief, shame and guilt can be so overwhelming that they isolate themselves from everyone.   
 
Research demonstrates that peer support, where interaction occurs between people sharing similar experiences, is highly effective and important in assisting individuals in coming to terms with their own experiences.
 
As  a new initiative the Child and Family Team have set up a ‘mothers supporting mothers’ group that meets for a few hours every month in the lounge at HELP. 
 
This group is for mothers who have children that have been sexually abused by their partner, husband or boyfriend.  This group is for women who have been in therapy for at least 3 months; the group being an adjunct to therapy. 
 
Our primary objective is to provide a group environment to access the support of other mothers in similar circumstances in order to

• Reduce the burden of Shame
• Reduce the burden of isolation
• Reality check
• Experience Compassion
• Share ideas
• Share coping strategies

Sharing Resources including reviewing knowledge of trauma and its mechanisms (psychoeducation)

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