about MEETUPS

About.

  • The Survivor Hub hosts in-person and online peer support groups, called ‘MeetUps’. At MeetUps, survivors can connect with each other to ask questions, express concerns, vent, learn and heal.

    Most importantly, MeetUps are safe spaces and exist to assure survivors that they aren’t alone and offer a sense of community through the highs and lows of their healing journeys. Our MeetUps show survivors that they can and will get through it, because their peers have too.

    MeetUps are also intended to be a space in which lived experience can be shared, with the goal of helping others. Our goal is that participants leave MeetUps feeling better than they came - feeling supported, valid, believed and assured that they will get through it. Our MeetUps empower survivors to make informed decisions about what is right for them.

    Having a safe community is an essential part of the healing process, and we seek to build together.

  • Conversations at MeetUps are peer-led. This means that fellow survivors facilitate the groups. Discussion topics are led by you and your peers – we talk about whatever you want to talk about, as long as it abides by our rules (see below).

    Common discussion topics include: relationships and intimacy after sexual assault, reactions of friends or family to disclosures, feelings about perpetrators, therapy options and recognition payments.

    You may not want advice, or to feel like starting a discussion; that's completely fine! You may just want to vent, or sit and take it all in. Whatever you have to say (or not say), we would be honoured to listen and just have you present!

  • MeetUps are open to all survivors aged 16 or older. This includes survivors of child and adult sexual assault.

    Survivors of all gender, sexuality, religious, cultural, ethnic and age diversity are welcome to attend.

    We also welcome survivors at any stage of the healing process. Whether they are yet to report to the police, have reported, or have decided that they will not report.

    Participants are welcome to bring a support person with them to MeetUps.

    Around 6-10 people attend each MeetUp. For most of our MeetUps, a specialist trauma counsellor and/or social worker will also present to provide further support.

  • All of our MeetUps have a finish time to ensure participants can leave when they expect to. However, participants are welcome to stay back and chat to one another for the next 15-30 minutes. Due to the nature of the small groups, there are many strong friendships forged during MeetUps. Participants often spend time together afterwards and are welcome to connect outside of MeetUps.

    Additionally, participants are also welcome to speak privately with any of the Survivor Hub team if there are any further questions or would like additional support. We foster trusting relationships with participants so that everyone feels comfortable telling our team if they need additional support. While we are not a counselling service, we can always refer participants to support services that we know and use. Participants can also access our online Facebook forum for instant connection with other survivors.

    There are also helplines available at Full Stop Australia, Lifeline and more.

  • 1. Privacy: MeetUps are safe spaces to share and heal. What people share in MeetUps must stay in MeetUps. Please respect the privacy of all participants, do not tell their story to others. If you have mutual friends with a participant, you may not tell the mutual friends that the participant has attended a MeetUp. Attending a MeetUp is a private and personal decision, and to create a safe space we must ensure that everything that happens in a MeetUp stays in the MeetUp.

    2. Respect: MeetUps are spaces for survivors to feel supported and heard. Please respect this by using respectful language and giving everyone a chance to be heard. This also includes not using language that victim-blames or otherwise disrespects other survivors.

    3. Mindfulness: Please be aware that all participants of MeetUps are survivors and may be triggered by any details you share. To avoid triggering people, we don't share explicit details of assaults or talk about our experiences in a way that might cause harm to others.

 FAQs.

  • Yes, of course you are welcome. It is possible that not all requested topics will be relatable to you, but themes are very similar and sometimes the same. E.g. Going through court, intimacy during healing, new relationships, counselling, seeking support, not being believed, feeling victim blamed, fall out from family and friends etc. Many of the survivors who come to our MeetUps are survivors of domestic violence and that is the context in which they experienced sexual violence.

  • No, all our MeetUps are free.

  • Yes and no.

    When you sign up for a MeetUp, you'll need to provide your name (or pseudonym) and contact email.

    When attending the MeetUp, you're more than welcome to use a pseudonym if you’d like. Simply let us know what pseudonym you prefer and we'll be sure to refer to you as that.

  • No, you don't have to share anything if you don't want to, just listening is fine.

  • If you feel triggered during an in-person MeetUp, you can leave, step outside for a moment or have a private debrief with one of the Survivor Hub team members or the social worker/counsellor (during or after).

    If you feel triggered in an Online MeetUp, we ask that you privately message one of the Survivor Hub team members who can take you into a breakout room to debrief, if you'd like. If you don't feel comfortable doing so, you can leave at any time.

    Please be aware of the helplines available to assist you in times of crisis.

  • MeetUps vary in size. The groups are generally between 6-8 people. However, sometimes up to 12 people will be present, including TSH team members and a counsellor or social worker.

  • The counsellor or social worker is there to ensure the comfort and safety of participants. They are there to observe, to ensure the conversation stays appropriate and adheres to the rules of the MeetUps (as above) and are also available to be pulled aside for a chat at any time.

  • Of course, you can leave at any time. But please talk to one of the TSH team members or the counsellor/social worker first to let us know you're okay. Otherwise, we'll worry about you.

    We can also help with referrals to counselling services.

  • Please do your best to come on time as it can be disruptive to your peers if you arrive whilst someone else is part way through sharing their experiences. Especially if it's your first MeetUp, it is particularly important that you arrive on time so you can hear the group guidelines and introduction.

    However, we also understand that sometimes life gets in the way and the unexpected happens. If something's holding you up, send us a message on the contact number provided in your information pack, and we'll save you a seat. Please make sure you're respectful when you arrive, as someone may be sharing sensitive information when you enter.

  • You can register for a MeetUp here.

  • The MeetUp is fully booked

    If you are unable to see any available MeetUp dates on our calendar, it is usually because it is already fully booked. If this is the case, you can check our calendar again closer to the date, as we often have spots open up due to last minute cancellations. Alternatively, you can let us know via our contact form, and we will try our best to squeeze you in.

    It is too close to the start of the MeetUp

    It could also be that it is too close to the start of the MeetUp to be able to register. Most of the MeetUps close 6 hours before the MeetUp starts. If this is the case please still let us know via our contact form and we will do our best to reply in time and let you know the details. As we run The Survivor Hub on a volunteer basis alongside full-time work and study commitments, we aren't always able to respond quickly enough. You can also send us a DM on Instagram and we will always do our best to respond as soon as we can.

    The MeetUp too far into the future

    In some locations the MeetUps open 20 days before, sometimes 40 days before. You can find this information for the MeetUp location that you are interested in on the booking page. If this is the case please try waiting a few days before contacting us and see if it works. We do this because people often book into MeetUps and then forget on the day, which means someone has missed out on a spot. So we keep the timeframe quite close in the hopes that people will remember.