These Guidelines are for the Safety of all the Participants of the Group
1. Therapists, the facilitators, and everyone else present are not here to do therapy. This is not a therapy group. It is a classroom for therapists to learn from survivors.
2. While survivor's and therapist’s full names are known to the facilitator, they are asked to use their first name only on screen. Although once admitted to the room, survivors may use whatever name they choose. Therapists, please include your credentials.
3. Therapists introduce themselves (first name) and title, and reason they are here. Do not give your location. Those Survivors who wish, may give a very brief intro and history of themselves.
4. When Survivors "check in" and share, therapists are not to interfere with survivor’s share time. This is a special time when survivors share very deeply and openly among each other, and therapists have been invited to observe and learn from the survivors. Survivors may share anything they like during their share time, as long as it is within our guidelines. All "Parts" of Survivors are welcome.
5. The amount of time for survivors' share time will be determined during each session, and the rest of the time will be for Q&A when therapists may ask the survivors questions. This is the purpose of this group. For brave survivors to be as open as they are within other support groups so that we may teach therapists how to better understand and help us. We will also discuss certain topics and the room will then be open to everyone to share and ask/answer questions.
6. Therapists should not try to contact survivors outside of this group, unless it’s your client. And survivors should not try to contact any of the therapists in this group, unless it is your own therapist. This is not a time for therapists to elicit clients or for survivors to seek out a therapist. Please respect the safety and privacy of both groups.
7. Everything said and done in this group remains here. No recording of the sessions. Please respect everyone’s confidentiality.
8. Survivors sometimes have suicidal feelings and may freely talk about them here. But we are not a crisis line and this is not a therapy session. No one is responsible for someone who is feeling suicidal. Talking about your 'feelings' within this group is ok. It must be clear that the therapists cannot help you, and are not responsible or expected to do so. If you are actively suicidal, please call a suicide crisis line, or your therapist or support person, or go to the emergency room. Although suicidal feelings may be discussed here, no discussion on methods or ways to harm yourself is allowed.
9. Group settings for survivors can be complex and risks may include transference and emotional destabilization. We encourage you to speak to your therapist or support networks to seek advice about the suitability of this environment for where you are in your recovery.
10. We cannot promise safety, but we can do our best to provide a safe space for all, and will immediately do something if we discover something isn’t right or safe. We will address any concerns someone has along those lines.
11. We ask that you do not use visual enhancements or video filters, backgrounds or any other unnatural video setting. All videos must be on and group members need to be at least partly within the view of the camera. The exception is if someone is triggered and needs a short time away from the camera. Please message the facilitator if you need to go off camera for any length of time.
12. We also ask that you do not use voice changers, audio filters, enhancements or any other unnatural audio setting. Microphones should be off unless sharing or during Q&A time. Use the raised hand when you want to speak. Chat will be disabled except for direct communication with the facilitator.
13. We ask that everyone show respect and compassion for each other. This is done by holding each other's mind in mind. This is absolutely imperative in this group. As a community, our goal is to create a safe space for every member. In order to achieve this goal, all participants and the facilitator agree to treat each other with equity, kindness, respect, and consideration. Any form of bullying, degrading comments, name-calling, put-downs, criticism, sarcasm, shaming or raising your voice towards each other, etc., will not be tolerated. If someone jeopardizes the safety of the group, they will be asked to leave. If the member wants to return to the group, we are open to honest reconciliation that may occur before the next scheduled group.
14. Due to the religious/spiritual nature of ritual abuse, any references of a spiritual nature should be spoken carefully and with consideration of the others in the group as it can be very triggering. It should be mentioned by survivors only, in their own personal share time, and in reference to their past experiences only, but still, done very carefully and considerately.
15. When you are sharing, giving feedback or answering questions, please do not assume that everyone's experiences are the same as yours. Refer to your experiences and the group(s) you were associated with, and do not generalize. No one's experiences are the same. All occult and mind control groups do things differently. Everyone's programs have been personalized and established individually. All kinds of different techniques are used on each person and for many different purposes. Even the locations and time periods of each survivor vary considerably. When communicating, please say, "My experience is this...and my group worked this way..." etc.
16. This group is designed as a survivor support group and to help therapists of RA/MC survivors learn how to become better therapists for this community. Anyone with an agenda, or who may be seeking a platform to create, promote or disseminate their ideas, curriculum, product, methods, political, social, lifestyle, spiritual, or beliefs of any kind will be asked to refrain from doing so, and to participate within our guidelines, or else leave the group. Please keep to the purpose of this group so that it can be a positive learning and supportive experience for everyone.
*Disclaimer: In attending or participating in the Survivors Speak Truth groups, you agree to hold harmless Survivors Speak Truth and its facilitator and/or participants for any adverse consequences that may impact your life.
**Participants in the group will have been vetted for purposes of safety. The Zoom link for the group will be emailed to participants once the vetting process is complete prior to the start of the group. Please do not share the link with anyone. Please be mindful that we as survivors of extreme abuse have triggers around issues of safety. Therefore only those who have been vetted prior to the onset of the group will be allowed entrance to the group. Please do not bring anyone with you to group, nor attend group with anyone else in the room with you, in order to maintain the safety established for all.
If you know someone who you think might be a good fit for the group, either therapist, survivor or survivor/therapist, please direct them to the homepage to complete the respective therapist or survivor questionnaires.