Making the Wounds Visible: Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
A Safe Church Interactive Workshop for Faith Communities
A Safe Church Interactive Workshop for Faith Communities
This workshop is offered as a resource to help faith communities become more sensitive to survivors, creating safe environments where their stories may be shared and honored.
The wounds of child sexual abuse are mostly invisible. Because these wounds cannot be seen, some people do not believe they are real, and do not understand that the impact can last for decades. This workshop is based on the ‘wailing wall’ created by adult survivors at our Tamar Speaks retreat to make these wounds visible. It is designed to be interactive and engage participants in recreating portions of the wall, moving into deeper awareness of trauma, suffering and hope.
Total time: 2 – 2.5 hours
The wounds of child sexual abuse are mostly invisible. Because these wounds cannot be seen, some people do not believe they are real, and do not understand that the impact can last for decades. This workshop is based on the ‘wailing wall’ created by adult survivors at our Tamar Speaks retreat to make these wounds visible. It is designed to be interactive and engage participants in recreating portions of the wall, moving into deeper awareness of trauma, suffering and hope.
Total time: 2 – 2.5 hours
- Schedule a Safe Church facilitator to come to your church and lead participants through the workshop, using a power point presentation to guide the process.
- As host, your church will be given a list of materials such as markers, colored paper, etc. to have on hand in sufficient quantity for expected participants, as well as handouts to copy in advance. A responsive reading based on the story of Tamar is provided with the workshop and churches are encouraged to use it in a Worship service.
