Sexual Assault Centre for Quinte and District

Gallery

  • 1 in 2 people who identify as female and 1 in 4 people who identify as male will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime
  • No one 'asks for it'
  • There may be many barriers to coming forward for support

View here for a gallery of our images from our Paths of Courage Healing & Retreat Centre.

Talk to someone now.
Toll-free at 1-877-544-6424

If you require immediate help,
please call 911.

  • Paths of Courage Poster

    Paths of Courage Poster

How Can I Help?

There are many ways to help through donating, volunteering, or by hosting a fundraising event. Learn more here on how you can help.

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Access support here for individual counselling, support groups and our lending library.

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The Paths of Courage

The name 'Paths of Courage' refers to four paths of healing, developed out of the vision for a holistic approach to healing from sexual violence.

Path of Physical Well Being

Path of Physical Well Being

  • During the program week we will offer participants a variety of tools that they can use to experience connection with their physical self.

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    • Exercise — yoga, stretching, hiking, kayaking, snow-shoeing, challenge course, movement therapy.
    • Nutrition — plenty of nourishing food provided.
    • Relaxation — time to de-stress built into each day, plenty of time to rest in a quiet country atmosphere.
    • Connection — through physical activities, drumming, and community.

Path of Emotional Balance

Path of Emotional Balance

  • Our participants will get a chance to recognize, experience and embrace feelings and emotional states as true barometers for life experience. These are:

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    • Group process — using tools of role-playing, somatic body work, projection/reflection and boundaries.
    • Support — from peers, professionals and self.
    • Trust building — through various exercises designed to challenge individuals and build community and trust.

Path of Re-thinking

Path of Re-thinking

  • Often experiences of sexual abuse lend us distorted belief systems that diminish and influence our daily life. Cognitive re-structuring allows participants to look at the thoughts that drive their lives and re-negotiate those beliefs that negatively impact their sense of self.

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    We help to introduce you to:

    • Reframing — a process that ends or diminishes those nagging, negative thoughts.
    • Healthy communication — learning ways to assertively reinforce boundaries and resolve conflict
    • Positive reflection — being able to see self differently as reflected by peers and staff.

Path of Spiritual Connections

Path of Spiritual Connections

  • Through all the other paths of courage, survivors may be able to connect to their own spiritual understandings and their right to wholeness and happiness.

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    We do this through:

    • Connection to nature — outdoor activities, a beautiful tranquil environment.
    • Quiet and solitude — some time each day to journal and reflect
    • Creativity — through art and music making
    • Ceremony and rites of passage — honouring our time together and the sense of connection that a healing community inspires
    • Meditation — guided mediation to turn inward and encourage healing
    • Sacred Healing Fire — Facilitated by a local Indigenous Fire Keeper

"Sexual assault is a serious, pervasive crime in our community. The deeply wounding effects of sexual assault ripple through our society, taking a toll on physical and mental health and family life, and affecting an inner sense of self."