~ Mindful Path of Healing and Transformation ~
by Danya Daccash, MSW, RSW

This compassion-based, comprehensive therapy program addresses the destructive impacts of sexual violence, offering a safety net of support to help women heal and transform themselves from the trauma of violence against women. Together we build a supportive community of women whose common goal is to create a healthier, happier, and more peaceful future.

This international Program includes 10 weeks of individual telephone counselling coupled with a weekly online support group. Program Participants receive the online support group free of charge, paying only the cost of individual tele-counselling. 

Is This Program for You?

Many women find that after surviving sexual violence, they have ongoing difficulties. There are common issues, such as overwhelming feelings, emotions, and thoughts, which cause women to suffer after they have been violated. These are neither signs of a personal defect nor mental illness, but rather natural reactions to the trauma of being abused or violated, whether this abuse happened as a child or as an adult.

Here are some questions that may help you decide if this Sexual Violence Healing Program is right for you.

Do you

• Want to learn how to heal from past trauma, including sexual violence and abuse?
• Suffer from distressing emotions, including anxiety, fear, powerlessness, anger, grief, shame or depressed feelings?
• Feel distressed by persistent negative thoughts?
• Struggle with flashbacks, nightmares, dissociation, panic attacks or post-traumatic stress (PTSD)?
• Have difficulty concentrating?
• Want to reduce stress, learn self care practices, and improve your emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical health?
• Struggle with maintaining a healthy sexual relationship?
• Find yourself leaning on drugs, alcohol, food etc. to avoid the pain of the assault?

Any of these natural reactions to trauma can impact a woman’s sense of self, her relationships with others and even her ability to maintain employment.

Women who are targets of sexual violence are particularly isolated and unsupported. Why? Our culture often defends abusers and minimizes or normalizes violence against women.

Let me be clear – the decision for someone to violate a woman or child rests on the shoulders of the attacker. However, our society often blames the victim, suggesting that the abuse/assault was somehow her fault (eg. how she dressed, where she was, how much she fought back…). The discussion of sexual violence is taboo in many cultures. This often leaves women feeling isolated, alone in their suffering and unable to gain support from friends and family.

Why a Support Group?

“When you reach out to others under stress, either to seek support or to help someone else…you actually recover faster…your stress response has a built-in mechanism for stress resilience,
and that mechanism is human connection.”

Kelly McGonigal, Stress Researcher

This online support group follows the tried and true rape crisis center model and offers healing and education to a community of women from around the world. Through the support group, women come together as a community of survivors to benefit from the collective energy in order to enhance healing. They also come together to experience mutual support (breaking the silence) and compassionate connections with other survivors (breaking the isolation).

This group is also a place to learn concrete practices for healing, empowerment, and resilience (e.g. mindfulness, self-compassion, psychology of healing), and to gain a deeper understanding of how our society perpetuates violence against women.

Why Telephone Counselling?

Research has shown that telephone counselling can be as effective as traditional in-person counselling, but it also offers many advantages. Telephone counselling is more convenient and accessible than traditional therapy, as it can be accessed in the comfort of your own surroundings or while away from home. This has advantages for many people, including those with disabilities or time constraints, or those who are unable to access quality counselling in their area. Telephone counselling is also a suitable option for those seeking anonymity.

Community Altruism

As an expression of compassionate community building and generosity, the online support group is being included for participants of the Sexual Violence Healing Program free of charge.

 

Sexual Violence Healing Program Basics:

~ Individual Telephone Counseling: one weekly 60 minute telephone therapy session for 10 weeks.

The tele-counselling sessions will be arranged directly with Danya Daccash. Flexible appointment times, including some weekend phone sessions are available.

~ offered concurrently with ~

~ Online Support Group: one weekly online support group for 10 weeks. 

Next Session: TBA – Please fill out the sign-up form to express interest.

Program Fee: $1500 CAD 

Information Related to Fees:

Fees for a Registered Social Worker (RSW) are covered under many private health plans or employee group benefit plans (often called “counselling” or “psychological” services – if social workers are not listed, please contact your carrier as many will cover an RSW with a Masters Degree).  Registered Social Workers are authorized as ‘medical practitioners’ under the Canadian Income Tax Act for claiming medical expenses on income tax returns, through the Medical Expense Tax Credit.

Do you think this Healing Program might be a good fit for you?

A select group of women can benefit from the free online support group by signing up for the Sexual Violence Healing Program. Please fill out this form with your contact information for a no-cost consultation about the program. Space is limited so sign up now!

Program Facilitator:

Danya Daccash, MSW, RSW is a cross-cultural feminist therapist trained in mindfulness and compassion practices. Specializing in telephone counselling for women, Danya forms deeply connected and compassionate relationships with her international clients. In her 25 years experience, she worked many years in grassroots Canadian Sexual Assault Support Centers and has helped hundreds of women heal their pasts and discover their unique path to health, peace and happiness.  She has extensive experience counselling women from diverse backgrounds, supporting survivors of all forms of trauma and abuse. Danya honours the experiences, challenges and needs that women face, and draws on holistic approaches of healing.