----------------------- Page 1----------------------- UPLIFT: A monthly ASCA newsletter of thriving and inspiration. Exclusively from The Morris Center for Healing from Child Abuse.   NOVEMBER 2018 UPLIFT Featuring positive, uplifting information exclusively from The Morris Center for Healing from Child Abuse. Unable to see parts of this Newsletter? Click here for a web based version Many thanks to all ASCA participants who took the survey and a special thank you to those who went the extra mile of adding illuminating comments. We recognize that, for some survivors, it was difficult to ----------------------- Page 2----------------------- delve into these issues and we applaud your courage. The survey would not have happened without the tireless efforts of our volunteer, Karen Mills, who worked for months in drafting the questions, with a big assist from her ASCA Santa Clarita co-facilitator, Jessie. Karen is still in the process of reviewing the answers so there will be more information forthcoming. However, we wanted to give you a quick overview of the results as soon as possible. 501 survivors in the ASCA community responded to the survey. This number included readers of the ASCA newsletter and users of the website plus ASCA meet-up and co- facilitator groups. The survey was also extended to members of The National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and The E. Diane Champe Institute. They provided us with an additional 120 completed surveys for a total of 621. Surprisingly, only 28% of all respondents had ever attended an ASCA meeting. Our primary goal was to determine whether therapy has been effective for the survivor community and whether there is anything ASCA can do to improve that experience. The results indicate that, for many, therapy was less than ideal. Indeed, a large number (29%) reported seeing 3 or 4 therapists while another 23% saw 5-7. Though the reasons for changing therapists so often varied, the main reasons cited were lack of progress and lack of connection with the therapist, as well as the therapist's lack of training in childhood trauma. ----------------------- Page 3----------------------- Almost 60% agreed that therapy would be more helpful if the therapist was specifically trained in child abuse issues. It was also not surprising that the majority agreed that the most effective therapists were those who were good listeners, empathetic and able to teach coping skills. Simply "being believed" and "therapist is an adult survivor of child abuse" was also high on the list of what survivors wanted from therapy. The graph below indicates what issues motivated survivors to see a therapist. We were disappointed to learn that many of the therapists rated in the survey were apparently unaware of ASCA or, at least, they did not mention the ASCA program. This is significant because the majority of ASCA respondents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that therapy was more effective when undertaken in conjunction with ASCA. Many ASCA respondents would like us to offer training and/or educational materials to therapists. Others wanted us to help ASCA participants in choosing a qualified therapist (we have written a resource guide to help). A significant number of respondents would like to see more ASCA meeting locations and times, as well as more types of support such as an online chat group and a crisis hotline. These are all great ideas and, as always, the issue is garnering the resources to ----------------------- Page 4----------------------- provide these services since ASCA and The Morris Center are completely volunteer run. As indicated above, there will be follow up articles with more information once the review of all the data is completed. However, it is already clear that we have work to do, especially in encouraging more survivors to attend ASCA meetings and in familiarizing therapists with the ASCA program. We are committed to those goals and we welcome you to join us in that effort! The Morris Center Board Of Directors YOUR HEALTHIEST WINTER YET Here are some tips for a Healthy Winter Layer clothing for warmth and comfort Stay hydrated and moisturize more often Be aware of weather changes for safer travels ----------------------- Page 5----------------------- Attend an ASCA meeting for support from fellow Adult Survivors of Child Abuse.  Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Norma J Morris Center For Healing From Child Abuse whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. Click to start donating at no additional cost to you, instantly while shopping on Amazon. UPLIFT joins our still ongoing, quarterly newsletter. We would love to feature you. If you would like to volunteer, have comments or would like to provide supportive feedback for anyone featured in this newsletter, send an email to ascanewseditor@gmail.com by including their name in the subject line of your email. A special thank you, to all those who have made a donation to the Norma J Morris Center. We would not be here without you. The Morris Center for Healing from Child Abuse | Email | Subscribe to UPLIFT Follow us on Facebook! NORMA J MORRIS CENTER FOR HEALING FROM CHILD ABUSE, PO Box 281535, San Francisco, CA 94128 SafeUnsubscribe™ {recipient's email} Forward this email | Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by ascanewseditor@gmail.com powered by Try email marketing for free today!