|
**** TRIGGER WARNING****
In this first week of the Artist Way, we discuss the impacts of childhood sexual abuse and some of our experiences navigating the ability to consistently feel safe inside. Learn more about the EmpowerSurvivors nonprofit: https://www.empowersurvivors.net/  As May comes to a close and you start making plans for June, we hope those plans include joining us at our upcoming fundraiser on June 11th and meat raffle on June 2nd!
Don’t miss out on live music performed by the Whiskey Ticks, awesome prizes, delicious food, and more on the 11th at Big Guys BBQ! If you would like to support our fundraiser by either sponsoring the auction/raffle or volunteering at either event; please contact Gabbie Vogel through Facebook or by emailing her at gabbie.vogel@gmail.com. Words can’t express our gratitude to those that have already committed to sponsoring our event. This event couldn’t be possible without the support from these generous businesses: All Excavating - Somerset, WI EagleView Wealth Management Group - RBC Stillwater, MN The Lumberjack / Madcapper - Stillwater, MN Subway - New Richmond, WI Green Bay Packers #packersgiveback Hudson Ford Mark Kranz, AWM, Senior VP / Financial Advisor - RBC Stillwater, MN Angel’s Pet World - Hudson, WI Anez Party Rentals - Somerset, WI Carbones - Hudson, WI Healing Within Acupuncture & Wellness Relief - Stillwater, MN Darn Knit Anyway - Stillwater, MN Stillwater Escape Company - Stillwater, MN Devil’s Advocate - Stillwater, MN First State Bank & Trust - Stillwater, MN Anytime Fitness - New Richmond, WI My Happy Place - Somerset, WI Culver’s - Hudson, WI Gareis Welding - Somerset, WI Celia Gear The Belisle Family Today we want to thank all of you that continue to support our mission of supporting those that have been victims of childhood abuse! EmpowerSurvivors was created in 2014 by Stillwater, MN resident Elizabeth Sullivan. What started out as a peer support group meeting in a local library quickly morphed into a 501c3 nonprofit that is now able to reach survivors worldwide! Since 2014 we have visited and spoken with thousands of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, 250 prisoners of the Lino Lake Prison system, local colleges, Universities, local Rotary Clubs, businesses leaders, numerous podcasts, nonprofit organizations, MN House and Senate committees, survivor groups, survivor families, and Take Back The Night Events, and more!!! We could not do this work without all of you. Thank you to all of the members that bravely walk this healing journey with us, all of you who have " Liked" our page, our donors, fellow businesses, and past and present board members. We truly appreciate each and every one of you!!! More about the EmpowerSurvivors Organization: https://www.empowersurvivors.net/  EmpowerSurvivors program, Conversations with Elizabeth Previously recorded on 4/24/2023 A very big thank you to Stacy Coulter for being our guest on the EmpowerSurvivors program, Conversations with Elizabeth! Join us as we discuss being a mother of a survivor with the author of the book, "Blindfolds and Pitchforks: Don't Be a Child Molester's Flying Monkey" and the mother of a sexually abused child, Stacy Coulter. As a parent, finding out that one of our children is the victim of childhood sexual abuse is horrifying. Something we may think will never happen to one of our own children. Join us for this Zoom program as Stacy brings us through her story of being a mother of a child who disclosed childhood sexual abuse at the hands of their stepfather. Find Stacy's book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blindfolds.../dp/1521801592 EmpowerSuvivors is a survivor-led nonprofit organization incorporating the peer support model. EmpowerSurvivors aids in reducing the silence and stigma of childhood sexual abuse. We offer individualized mentorship programs, peer-support groups, classes, and individual mentorship. These programs help assist in the survivor recovery process, reduce isolation, provide skills to help manage lives in the community and promote health and well-being. Find out more at: www.empowersurvivors.net/ Find Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmpowerSurvivors  The Power of YOU is a series of survivors stories of childhood sexual abuse, healing and resilience. The school year that changed my life started off strangely. My best friend had just moved over 300 miles away, and I missed her. It was the first time I went to school without her. All of the upper elementary teachers were new to the school, so I had no idea what to expect from my new teacher. She looked kind of like a linebacker, and the entire class exploded with whispered speculations. I was a bit afraid of her and started feeling more anxious. She fixated on me instantly, and the other children noticed. She immediately began touching my body: resting her hand on mine, touching my cheek, and more. She called me her little girl, her little sweetheart, her baby girl, etc. She used attachment techniques to form a bond. Her grooming escalated, and within a few weeks she’d shattered my innocence and forever changed my brain, body, DNA, and life. She molested me hundreds of times over the course of the school year, keeping me in when she could from recesses, lunch, specials, etc. She told everyone I was her “teacher’s assistant” and she was mentoring me because I wanted to be a teacher. The next school year, I realized she could be hurting another little girl, so I told on her. The police callously and erroneously told me a woman wouldn’t molest a girl. They chose not to ask the questions they would have if she had been a man or do the investigation they would have if she had been a man. My parents and extended family believed and supported me, and my parents put me in therapy. When the abuser got away with the sexual and other abuse, she and her enablers retaliated against me until I moved over 1,000 miles away after my first year in college. Although I participated in therapy after I told, therapy for sexual abuse survivors was still rather new. There was a lot the psychologist did that she should not have and did not do that she should have. I buried the worst memories, then buried other memories, and I felt silenced again. For the next several decades, I rarely shared that I was molested. My abuser died. Almost nine months ago, she started appearing in my dreams and apologizing for abusing me. I realized then that I had more healing to do. I’m on the healing journey, and I’m making great progress. I have a ways to go still. It’s like assembling a puzzle when a hundred puzzles are mixed together, and the one I’m assembling has half a picture, damaged pieces, and missing pieces. I will persevere, and I will move from survivor to thriver. The Power of YOU is a collection of written stories by survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
EmpowerSurvivors believes that by sharing our stories of childhood sexual abuse and recovery we begin to lose the grip shame can have on us. It is also a way to reach other survivors who may be living in silence and have never heard someone else's story of abuse, healing, and wellness. share your story by submitting up to a one-page entry ( 500 words) that includes an overview of your experience of childhood sexual abuse, the recovery process, and healing. Entries can remain anonymous. Entries can be emailed to Elizabeth Sullivan at EmpowerSurvivors@gmail.com EmpowerSurvivors will not alter your story in any way and will publish it exactly as you submitted it.  Join us, via Zoom!
Monday, April 24, 2023 6:00 PM Central Time Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZUpdeqsrjwpHtF... After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This week we are excited to have the author of the book, "Blindfolds and Pitchforks: Don't Be a Child Molester's Flying Monkey" and the mother of a sexually abused child, Stacy Coulter. As a parent, finding out that one of our children is the victim of childhood sexual abuse is horrifying. Something we may think will never happen to one of our own children. Join us for this Zoom program as Stacy brings us through her story of being a mother of a child who disclosed childhood sexual abuse at the hands of their Stepfather. Find Stacy's book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blindfolds-Pitchforks-Molesters-Educated-Pedophiles/dp/1521801592/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501081223&sr=8-1&keywords=blindfolds%20and%20pitchforks&fbclid=IwAR1F3wCaRrPe7uuZkhtyBvKwk7biu1wCd9oKk6wG2Y7t09LeH3wtIQTcuhk Find out more about the EmpowerSurvivors 501c3 Nonprofit: https://www.empowersurvivors.net/ Donations are encouraged and can be made through PayPal at: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=MRU3VP4L3KSFU Your donations go to supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse, our peer support groups, programs, and organization.  The Power Of YOU!
Entries can be emailed to Elizabeth Sullivan at EmpowerSurvivors@gmail.com The Power of YOU is a collection of written stories by survivors of childhood sexual abuse. It is an opportunity to share your story of childhood sexual abuse and recovery in a written form and remain anonymous. EmpowerSurvivors invites those who have been affected by childhood sexual abuse to share their journey today. Your story will be added to the EmpowerSurvivors website and newsletter as a way of spotlighting the strength and power of survivors. You never know how your story may aid in another’s recovery process, provide hope to a struggling survivor, or help others to better understand this epidemic. EmpowerSurvivors invites you to share your story by submitting up to a one-page entry ( 600 words) that includes an overview of your experience of childhood sexual abuse, the recovery process, and healing. EmpowerSurvivors will not alter your story in any way and will publish it exactly as you submitted it. Once received it will be added to our website under “The Power of YOU” page and spotlighted in upcoming newsletters. Find out more about EmpowerSurvivors at https://www.empowersurvivors.net/  Join us for another episode of the EmpowerSurvivors Zoom podcast:
Conversations with Elizabeth! Monday, April 10, 2023 6:00 PM Central Time 7:00 PM Eastern Time 5:00 PM Mountain Time 4:00 PM Pacific Time Must register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUud-urpzwiH9Hz38R6raU4-ZMZKPb8nZ14 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This week we cover the subject of sibling childhood sexual abuse and trauma with special guests & Survivors, Amanda S., Maria Socolof, and Jane Epstein of the nonprofit 5WAVES. An estimated 80 million children worldwide have experienced sibling sexual trauma or abuse. 88% of survivors don't tell anyone till adulthood if they ever tell at all Join us as we discuss this important topic that is rarely spoken about. What is 5WAVES? 5WAVES is a not-for-profit promoting Worldwide Awareness, Voice, Education, and Support around Sibling Sexual Trauma--child sexual abuse caused by a sibling. The founders of 5WAVES are five women in five different time zones, working to break through the dark shadows of a silent epidemic. As survivors and parents, they each found themselves utterly alone for years and even decades, as they faced the effects of sibling sexual trauma (SST) on their lives and families. Sibling sexual trauma is real. It happens in all types of families. In fact, it is one of the most common forms of child sexual abuse both in the US and worldwide. https://www.5waves.org/ What is EmpowerSurvivors: EmpowerSuvivors is a survivor-led 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporating the peer support model. EmpowerSurvivors aids in reducing the silence and stigma of childhood sexual abuse. We offer individualized mentorship programs, peer-support groups, classes, and conferences. These programs help aid in the survivor recovery process, reduce isolation, provide skills to help manage lives in the community and promote health and well-being. https://www.empowersurvivors.net/  Peer Support Group for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse- Registration Now Closed 6-week group: 90-minute peer group Thursday, March 9, 2023, at 6:00 PM Central. Cost: 6 Weeks for $20.00 Group Size: 10 Participants Register with Elizabeth at EmpowerSurvivors@gmail.com We welcome all ( non-offending) survivors of childhood sexual abuse to join this weekly group. Whether it's your first time joining a group of this kind, or you have been a member for years we invite you to gather with us as we discuss issues about sexual abuse, mental health, healing, and wellness. Once the email is received, the facilitator will email you registration forms, guidelines, and fee agreements and answer any questions you may have. ***** Class Dates ****** Thursday, March 9, 2023, @ 6:00 PM ( Central Time) Thursday, March 16, 2023, @ 6:00 PM ( Central Time) Thursday, March 23, 2023, @ 6:00 PM ( Central Time) No Group March 30, 2023 Thursday, April 6, 2023, @ 6:00 PM ( Central Time) Thursday, April 13, 2023, @ 6:00 PM ( Central Time) Thursday, April 20, 2023, @ 6:00 PM ( Central Time  Peer Support Group for Survivors of Sibling Childhood Sexual Abuse-Registration Now Closed
6-week group: 90-minute peer group Thursday, March 9, 2023, at 11:00 AM Central. Cost: 6 Weeks for $20.00 Group Size: 10 Participants Register with Elizabeth at EmpowerSurvivors@gmail.com We welcome all ( non-offending) survivors of sibling childhood sexual abuse to join this weekly group. Whether it's your first time joining a group of this kind, or you have been a member for years we invite you to gather with us as we discuss issues about sexual abuse, mental health, healing, and wellness. Once the email is received, the facilitator will email you registration forms, guidelines, and fee agreements and answer any questions you may have. ***** Class Dates ****** Thursday, March 9, 2023, @ 11:00 AM ( Central Time) Thursday, March 16, 2023, @ 11:00 AM ( Central Time) Thursday, March 23, 2023, @ 11:00 AM ( Central Time) No Group March 30, 2023 Thursday, April 6, 2023, @ 11:00 AM ( Central Time) Thursday, April 13, 2023, @ 11:00 AM( Central Time) Thursday, April 20, 2023, @ 11:00 AM ( Central Time |
Archives
May 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Call us today to inquire about the many services we provide for survivors of childhood sexual abuse:
Survivor led support groups & classes - Individual peer support - Conferences - Retreats
651-323-4721
815 Oak Street West
Stillwater, MN 55082
EmpowerSurvivors is a 501(C)(3). All Rights Reserved. © 2022
Survivor led support groups & classes - Individual peer support - Conferences - Retreats
651-323-4721
815 Oak Street West
Stillwater, MN 55082
EmpowerSurvivors is a 501(C)(3). All Rights Reserved. © 2022