Testimonials
Survivors attend support groups facilitated by counselors once a week. The English Domestic Violence Support Group and the Teen Sexual Assault Support Group meet on Mondays and Thursdays respectively. Group members can share their experiences and growth in a safe, nurturing environment with discussions on topics that promote high self-esteem, positivity, self-sufficiency. Sessions are confidential and include outings to special events and activities that help to build self-confidence. Some of the members share their thoughts below:
“Never Would Have Made It”
God certainly never promised us days without rain or days without trials and perplexities. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ve had more than my share of both. I am a strong believer that the storms in my life, or in some cases the tornadoes, have [made] me so very humble and grateful for where I find myself today. Group has been a blessing to me. In group I have learned to love myself, I have learned to forgive, I have learned not to let the past control my future. I have also learned that the past should not be a place where I live, but something from which I learn. My motto is “moving forward climbing upwards.”
-Andrea Dubois
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Allow me to introduce myself, I am Le Shan Wallace.
I suffered abuse before I became involved in an abusive marriage. I was married for 15 years and I suffered in silence. I was ashamed for staying in the marriage. I had nowhere to go and relied on my husband financially. I suffered emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse during my marriage. Friends and family thought he was a good husband and a good provider. He put on an act in front of people. No one knew the abuse my children and I were suffering behind closed doors.
I was isolated from the outside world and was afraid to ask for help. The system in the States isn’t much help or protection for victims of domestic violence until the abuser has tried to kill you. I wasn’t going to wait for that to happen to me or my children. I ran away with my three children to St. Croix, USVI. I couldn’t have done it on my own, I had help. I was referred to WC by an adviser for New York (Kings County) Family Court. I met with Ms. Lewis, she introduced me to the support group.
This support group has changed my life tremendously. I’ve been in group for three years now and there were times I thought I didn’t need group anymore. I thought I was strong and that I was ok. But I hadn’t done any self work. I was still wounded and vulnerable and angry! Coming to group gave me a safe haven to vent my hurt, anger, concerns and goals. Group has helped me do that self-work that is needed to rebuild my self-esteem. Abuse caused me to lose myself completely; my self-esteem was shattered. Group has helped me to define myself, forgive myself, understand myself and accept me as I am. I am learning to love me. I have also formed a bond with my sisters in group. The support group provides a nurturing environment that teaches you to trust your instincts and you learn what to look out for so you don’t continue to make wrong choices. When individuals learn to love themselves, they are least likely to find themselves in an abusive relationship of any kind.
I am thankful for WCSC; these people are like angels here on earth. Because of WCSC, I have an opportunity to break the cycle of abuse and move on with my life. I am no longer a victim. I am a survivor. I want to encourage others who are being abused, to speak up. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t worry about what people will say and what they will think. You are important! This is your life. Speak up and save yourself and you might also save someone else. You’re not the only one! There is help. All you have to do is ask for it.
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
It’s like I’ve been guided from the edge of the cliff back into the safety of an oasis. Before being introduced to the Woman’s Coalition I suffered from low self-esteem, depression, anxiety attacks, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. The traumatic experience of childhood sexual molestation, being raped at 18, and feeling trapped in mentally, emotionally, physically, financially and verbally abusive relationships left me not wanting to live. But all that has changed since coming to the Women’s Coalition.
At first I felt that Women’s Coalition wouldn’t have anything to offer me and felt ashamed to even consider going there. But I’m here to say this it was the best decision I’ve ever made in reclaiming my life! The Domestic Violence Support Group isn’t about being a victim, it’s about a group of women embracing each other through difficulty and pain and rising above it to a place of healing and self-discovery. Through this group I have found the strength to heal and overcome the darkness of my past. I’ve learned self- love and have gained a sisterhood of women that have added value to my life. The Women’s Coalition and the Domestic Violence Support Group is a safe haven for women of all walks of life to come and start the healing process from wounds both visible and unseen. With the aid and support of the counselors and support groups of the Women’s Coalition, I am now a strong, healthier person who realizes her beauty both inside and out!
-Name Withheld
