Support Groups

We offer FREE virtual and in-person support groups and workshops on a variety of topics.  Be sure to register early to ensure space is reserved for you.   ​
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Here are some other community agencies who host free support groups: 

• Community Justice Initiatives
• Self-Help & Peer Support
• Camino 
• Porchlight (Cambridge)
• Crow Shield Lodge
• Community Healthcaring KW​​

Groups 

Open Session Groups (Drop-In)
Register to receive a Zoom link or location information, and join when you can!

Exploring Movement: 30 Minutes of Gentle Strength & Stability for Survivors

Date: Mondays
Time: 7:30 - 8:00 PM 
Location: Online/Zoom

This is a 30-minute virtual class for folks who would like to explore adding movement to their day. This class will include a gentle warmup, stretches, and some stability exercises that can be modified to suit every individual. All you need to bring is you!

Facilitated by Meagan Walker from Resilience in Motion

Register Now

The Art of Healing

Date: Every other Thursday
Time:  1:00 - 2:30 PM 
Location: Online

This virtual expressive arts-based program will use various forms of media in hopes of exploring healing themes. No artistic experience is required. You will need a blank canvas (blank, lined paper, canvas, etc) and something to create with (pens, markers, pencil crayons, paint, etc.). Artist Elfie Kalfakis will co-facilitate this group. This group is for women, women-identified and non-binary survivors.

REGISTER NOW

Rainbow of Healing

IN PERSON
Date: Monthly on the 2nd Thursday, spanning January until April 2025
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. 
Location: SPECTRUM, 283 Duke Street West, Unit 210, Kitchener 
Parking and Accessibility info can be found here: Contact SPECTRUM Waterloo Region or Visit our space (ourspectrum.com) 

VIRTUAL
Date: Monthly on the 4th Thursday, spanning February to April 2025
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Please register to be sent the Zoom Link

Join our monthly support group for 2S and LGBTQIA+ survivors of sexual violence. Facilitated by and for members of the Rainbow community, the Rainbow of Healing welcomes survivors of all sexualities and gender identities over the age of 16 to connect for mutual support and empowerment. 

Each meeting will incorporate discussion and activities dedicated to accessing joy, affirming our Rainbow identities, and building a sense of community with one another as survivors. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

REGISTER NOW

Empower Together: Weekly Online Group

​Date: Weekly on Wednesday
Times: 3:30 p.m. to 5pm
Location: Online/Zoom

Empower Together is a weekly online support group for survivors by survivors. Through sharing our lived experience, we connect, heal, and empower together. Topics will range from safety, self-worth, relationships, boundaries, and hope/resilience. This group is for women, women-identified and non-binary survivors. Registration required.

REGISTER NOW

Craft & Chat: Weekly In-Person Kitchener Group

​Date: Weekly on Mondays
Times: 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: SASC Office, 151 Frederick St. Kitchener

Craft & Chat is a weekly in-person craft group for survivors. In this group we provide an informal space to socialize or sit quietly in a caring community of survivors, while exploring new arts and craft activities. Participants are welcome to bring in their own craft projects, use our supplies, or to simply sit and chat. This group is for women, women-identified and non-binary survivors. Registration required

REGISTER NOW

Closed Session Groups 

Men's Group - March

This six-week support group is designed for male survivors of sexual violence who are seeking a safe, confidential, and supportive space to share their experiences, connect with others, and begin or continue their healing journey.

Location: Online
Date: Monday, March 18 for 6 weeks
Time: 12pm

Register Now

Healing Horizons for Black and Racialized Survivors - April

Join our 8-week support group for Black and racialized women identifying as survivors of gender-based violence. This group aims to provide a safe and supportive space for sharing experiences and fostering healing, empower participants through community building and mutual support, offer resources and tools for coping with trauma and promoting well-being, facilitate discussions on the unique challenges faced by Black and racialized women, and promote resilience and self-advocacy among participants.

We are proud to partner with Kind Minds Family Wellness to offer this group. 

Date: April 10th for 8 weeks
Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: In-person Kitchener
What's Provided: 

• Bus tickets
• Child Care 

• Light Supper 

* Spots are limited, so we encourage early registration to secure your place. 

Register Now

Pathfinders Pre-Counselling Group

Date: TBD
Time: TBD
Hybrid Location: In Person at SASC Office, 151 Frederick Street, Unit 300, Kitchener, Ontario and online via Zoom

Pathfinders is a 4-week group program designed to help sexual trauma survivors go from isolation to belonging in a healing community. By establishing a foundation of safety and well-being, members will tap into their strengths and abilities to take charge of their healing journey.

Participants are introduced to the effects of trauma on the brain and body, along with how it can impact thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and explore how common trauma reactions such as flight, fright, freeze, and fawn show up in their lives.

Next, new skills and tools are introduced that can help relieve some of the physical, psychological and emotional discomforts that many experience, helping to restore calm, clarity of mind, confidence, improved emotional management, and overall well-being.

Finally, we consider what healing might look like and discuss various resources and services that are available while recognizing that the path to healing looks different for everyone. 

This group is open to survivors of all genders over the age of 16. 

REGISTER NOW

Into The Light: Healing from Childhood Sexual Trauma - Fall 2025

Date: Fall 2025
Time: TBD
Location: TBD

A 12-week virtual group for survivors healing from childhood sexual trauma. As part of a community of survivors we will explore coping tools, sleep, emotional regulation, addiction, shame, the inner child, relationships, boundaries, resilience, acceptance and the sacred path to healing. ​This group is for women, women-identified and non-binary survivors.

Please note that this group is only open to those who live within Waterloo Region (Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, North Dumfries, Woolwich, Wellesley, and Wilmot).

Register NOW

FEEDBACK FROM WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS...

“I found the workshop very organized and well thought out.”

“I liked the flow of the agenda”

“I appreciated the open dynamic. It kept it engaging.”

“I liked the detailed content provided and the inclusiveness.”
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“It’s really nice to know that others struggle with the same things I do.”