Our services

Facilitated by volunteers, our regular friendship groups offer an opportunity to have peer connection and informal support and signposting. 

We have currently paused referrals to our friendships groups (January 2025) due to service developments. As soon as this changes, we will provide an update here, through social media and other communication networks. In the interim, if you are looking for support, please contact us here and we can help to find the best option for you at the moment. Additional information is also available on our website self help guides, a-z of consent, myths and through RCEW Get help.

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Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC) invites young women aged 14 to 16, who have been affected by sexual violence to join Phoenix.

This is an opportunity for you to:

• Feel empowered.
• Increase confidence and self-esteem in everyday life.
• Explore current topics such as healthy relationships and social media.
• Develop positive coping strategies.
• Get involved in women’s and girls’ rights.
• Not feel alone and form friendships.

GRASAC recognises that family can be crucial to a survivor’s healing journey, but it can affect their own health and well-being. Therefore, alongside Phoenix, we will be offering an informal, confidential safe space for the family of the young person attending.

This is an opportunity for families to share a cuppa and:

• Ask questions and seek support from a member of the GRASAC Team.
• Understand how being a victim of sexual violence can impact on an individual.
• Discover how they can best support the person they care for, whilst also looking after themselves.
• Have a 1-1 meeting with a member of staff. We don’t discuss our clients, but we will support you to better understand and manage emotions.

‍Programme Of Women’s Empowerment & Recovery

About the Course

The course runs for 14 weeks and is provided to women who have experienced sexual abuse/violence and have already accessed our emotional support service.

The course aims to help you:

• Reduce isolation.
• Reduce levels of shame and self-blame.
• Identify triggers and develop healthy coping strategies.
• Increase your knowledge of your personal rights and boundaries.
• Explore sexuality, intimacy and trust.
• Understand feelings such as grief and anger.
• Learn assertiveness skills.
• To feel empowered and in control of your own life.

We provide an environment that enables you to:

• Feel safe and secure.
• Realise the extent of your abuse and deal with the emotions that come with this realisation.
• Feel ready to move on.
• Develop a more positive outlook for the future.
• Gain self-worth, respect, confidence and self-esteem.

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Areas Covered by the Course

• Your bill of rights.
• Understanding the impact of sexual abuse.
• The healing process and preparing for change.
• Identifying triggers.
• Coping strategies and honouring what you did to survive.
• Forgiveness and letting go of self-blame and shame.
• Grieving and mourning your losses.
• Anger: the backbone of healing.
• Setting boundaries and ending old patterns.
• Sexuality, intimate relationships and trust.
• Assertiveness skills and practice.
• Letting go and moving forward.
• Celebrating change.

If you are interested in taking part in our POWER Programme, please contact us.

“The ladies were amazing, supportive, relatable, informative, helpful, genuine. It didn’t feel like they were just reading the programme and going through the motions. They were part of the group, wouldn’t have been the same without them.”

“Never been a fan of the group thing but being put with other survivors is imperative to healing – it breaks down the isolation of being a rape survivor.”

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