Door of Hope

An encouraging and supportive program for women survivors of sexual abuse.  In an environment of love, acceptance and confidentiality, participants will begin to develop new strategies for living, and find healing from the struggles of life.

It brings women out of emotional isolation and addresses the life struggles they face.  The issues explored include powerlessness and empowerment, aspects of shame and guilt, sexual healing and healthy sexuality, being loved, restoration of trust and how to build positive relationships.

Session Information

The Arena of Healing

The aim of this session is to explain the meaning of the term "recovery" as used in this context, to briefly explain the Four Interrelated Areas of Recovery, to introduce participants to the mind and heart attitudes necessary for growth and change to occur, and to introduce the Arena of Healing which provides a visual image to help participants identify the healing process.

What is Abuse?

This session aims to define and discuss sexual abuse and the different forms of denial, as well as identify the symptoms of sexual abuse that affect a women functioning as a healthy adult.

Stages of Abuse

The aim of this session is to introduce the concept of the Family of Origin; to provide an overview of the functional/dysfunctional family continuum; to discuss how abuse can occur including the stages of abuse; home life factors which can contribute to abuse; statistics regarding perpetrators of abuse, as well as identify some potential feelings of an abused child.

Shame

This session aims to differentiate between guilt and shame, to visualise the differences between guilt and shame and their outcomes, to familiarise the women with common characteristics of adults shamed in childhood, to identify the possible roots to shame and possible responses to them, and finally to discuss the issue of healing from shame.

Contempt

This session discusses the issue of contempt and its characteristics, gives an overview of contempt and how it works, and aims to challenge and change issues of self-contempt.

Betrayal and Powerlessness

In this session women will learn to define what betrayal is, and to list the common factors contributing to the feeling of betrayal. Powerlessness is introduced and how it relates to abuse, and hope is provided to participants by reminding them that Jesus died to bring liberation.

Ambivalence

The aim of this session is to define and explain ambivalence, to discuss how ambivalence can manifest in one's life, to discuss how ambivalence can devastate one's relationships with others including God, and to introduce the concept of body awareness.

Defence Mechanisms and Survival

The aim of this session is to discuss self-protective behaviours, defence mechanisms and protective shields and how they can operate in one's life; to introduce participants to the Johari Window, and to challange and encourage participants to take responsibility by making healthy responses to life's situations.

The Way Through

This session deals with the issues surrounding repentence and penance. It seeks to highlight some areas where participants might get 'stuck' and offers some possible solutions to them.  It discusses the issues involved in the healing process.

Aspects of Love

This session defines love - what it is and what it is not. It discusses forgiveness as an aspect of love, and establishes the concept of real love - God's love. Participants are offered instruction on healing for a wounded sexuality through the Spirit of Virginity teaching.