Long-term support for survivors

At Aurora, long-term healing takes place in small support groups alongside your fellow survivors. It’s natural to feel anxious about sharing your experiences with people you don’t know. But doing so can help you make great strides toward healing.

Research shows that survivors who receive support from others are more likely to achieve positive results. These results include regaining your self-confidence and finding healthy ways to deal with stress.

Long-term recovery support for survivors of sexual assault

Aurora Health Care offers a broad range of support groups for survivors of sexual assault, including a Spanish-language group. Most groups meet weekly and are available to you at no cost. Anything you say to our counselors or support group members is held in the strictest confidence.

Highlights of our program include:

• Special services for men: We are one of only a few programs in Wisconsin meeting the unique needs of male survivors. In addition to offering one of the few men-only groups in the area, our team also includes a male counselor. All of our counselors have experience helping men reclaim their well-being.
• A unique support environment: Most long-term counseling programs take place at the Aurora Healing Center on Bruce Street. This fresh, modern building is unlike a typical therapy environment. We offer spacious therapy rooms, a rooftop garden and a lending library. Find out more about our locations.
• Full-spectrum services: Long-term counseling is one of the many ways we support survivors. Whether the incident happened recently or many years ago, we offer specialized support and services to help you feel whole again. Learn more about our healing services.
• Additional support when needed: If your healing journey takes an unexpected turn, you can count on us to be there for you. Our advocates lend a caring ear and help coordinate services that meet your individual needs. No appointment is necessary. Read more about survivor advocacy.

Most women start with our Survivors Toward Recovery group. This eight-week program helps you begin to manage your thoughts and feelings so they don’t get in the way of your well-being. After completing this group, you may wish to continue your journey with one of our other women-only support groups.

Our support groups for women include:

• Adult Women Molested As Children is for survivors who experienced sexual assault as children.
• Adult Rape and Sexual Assault Support Group is for survivors who have experienced sexual trauma as an adult.
• Sexual Wholeness Group is for survivors who would like to work toward bringing intimacy and sexuality back into their lives.
• Creative healing groups use art and writing skills to help survivors express and manage feelings.
• Emotions and Assertiveness Bootcamps help survivors learn how to express thoughts, feelings and emotions to maintain healthy relationships.
• Café y Conversación is our Spanish-language support group. We help survivors develop coping skills and support one another on their healing journey in their preferred language. Find out more: Sitio en Español.

Men’s support groups

Our experts recognize and care for the unique needs of male survivors. Whether you are struggling with events that occurred recently or years ago, we can help you reclaim your sense of wellness.

Our men’s support groups include:

• Men’s Survivors Toward Recovery is for survivors who are just starting their recovery journey. We help you learn how to manage your thoughts and feelings so you can move forward with your life in a positive way.
• Male Survivors of Sexual Assault and Abuse helps survivors continue their recovery journey by learning how to move past previous incidents in a positive and healthy way.

Help for survivors who don’t have other options

Any survivor is welcome at Aurora. However, space in our programs is limited. If you are eligible for long-term counseling services through your insurance plan, we ask that you pursue those services first. Doing so allows us to provide timely services to people who do not have other options.

Contact us

Call our 24/7 hotline today at 414-219-5555, or connect with us via our confidential text line. 

Text 414-219-1551