HEALING RETREATS FOR SURVIVORS Avi Haimowitz Program Director - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

DESIGNING INNOVATIVE HEALING RETREATS FOR SURVIVORS Avi Haimowitz Program Director

Agenda • Using Nature to Heal • Background & Herstory • Key Elements • Considerations • Design Your Own • Future Retreats

Using Nature to Heal • Use eustress, problem-solving challenges, natural environments, relationship building  promote change (VanKanegan, 2016) • Outdoor programs • Develop skills/experiences increasing sense of mastery, connectedness, & emotional regulation  increase resilience (VanKanegan, 2016) • Natural environments • Provide healing & therapeutic qualities (Taylor et al., 2010) • Sense of calm & peacefulness in nature (Asher et al., 1994) • Using outdoors as metaphor for life’s challenges helps participants find meaning • Finding meaning helps increase acceptance and moving forward (Prince-Embury, 2015)

Background & Herstory • Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing community of survivors • Aspen Camp for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Timeline • 2014: 1 st Survivors’ Retreat at Aspen Camp (Labor Day wkd) • 6 survivors, 18 KODAs • 2015: Attempted 2 nd retreat, postponed • Numerous backed out last-min (school year) • 2016: 2 nd Survivors’ Retreat at Aspen Camp (1 st wkd June) • 19 survivors, no children • 2017: 3 rd Survivors’ Retreat at Jackson Lake Lodge in Utah (last wkd August) • TBA – no children

Key Elements • DV/SA agency staff develop vision & agenda • Invite return survivors to facilitate • Location & venue • Safety • Connection to nature • Food & lodging • Activities • Low ropes challenge course, team-building/discovery • Hope Hands • Hot springs • Advocate-facilitated discussions • Burn & release

1 st Retreat Comments • HIKING • “I love the hiking of feeling the nature, healing, put your feet in water or flowers to let go the pain you feel and let it go then throw the flower in river” • LOW ROPES • “Love it how will build new friends trust, teamwork, and relationship grow stronger by communication” • GENERAL • “Want separate from kids so can focus on ourselves/feelings”

2 nd Retreat Comments • “Wish it was not only for survivors who identify as women, felt I had to match that even though I’m actually genderqueer. F elt I couldn’t show my masculine side.” • “I suggest 4 full days instead of 3 full days because there were too much – need to spread it out little bit so we all can have chance to analysis our own issues with others without any pressure. Overall, I love this retreat!!  ” • “More POC, survivors and advocates. More conversation about community accountability, victim-blaming, and survivor- centric approaches?” • “Ever since I started to get back to routine, I find myself struggle with a lot of things. I didn’t expect to come home with a lot of intense emotions…For the next retreat, we should discuss how returning to our realities could be difficult at first and how we can find support from within…” • “More outdoor activities! It was so so so so so so AWESOME! I’m leaving my heart here. <3”

Considerations • Target “audience” • Specific demographic or community? • Staff expertise & capacity • Support groups / large group activities • Partner with other agencies • Accessibility • Disabled survivors • Survivors who identify differently from staff or from most other attendees • How to “market” • Duration • Time of year • Children

Budget Considerations • Venue • Activity fees / material costs • Food • Any CPR/First Aid/safety training necessary • Transportation • Survivor scholarships

Design Your Own

Future Retreats • Southeast Utah • Open to Deaf Anti Violence Coalition agencies’ clients • Increased focus on addressing trauma, dealing with its aftermath & how to go back home and continue using tools learned • No low ropes • Pond • All gender identities welcome

References • Asher, S.J., Huffaker, G.Q., & McNally, M. (1994). Therapeutic Considerations of wilderness experiences for incest and rape survivors. Women & Therapy, 15, 161- 174. • Prince-Embury, S. (2015) Assessing personal resiliency in school settings: The resiliency scales for children and adolescents. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 25 (1), 55-65. • Taylor, D.M., Segal, D., & Harper, N.J. (2010) The ecology of adventure therapy: An integral systems approach to therapeutic change. Ecopsychology 2 (2), 77-83. • VanKanegan, C. (2016). Trauma and Resilience in Outdoor Therapy. Retrieved from: https://www.outdoored.com/articles/trauma-and-resilience-outdoor- therapy