The Transformational Power of Grit by Sherry Slejska | January 9. 2021 “Dedicated to the wonderful women & John in my peer support group!” Few words can describe the character of someone who survives great hardship and then embarks on a transformational journey of personal discovery. Perhaps grit might be one of those words. We make heroes of the famed professional athletes pursuing their own story of greatness. We find powerful inspiration in their blood, sweat, tears, and triumph. We cheer from the sidelines for the underdog in a dog eat dog arena. In fact, if you were to place a wager, it would be the underdog who has the greatest payout. They learn more, do more, work harder, become more resilient and embrace self compassion when they fall short. And when they fail, they get back up and try again. It’s the metamorphosis of the wounded, disabled, persecuted, victimized, and disadvantaged that inspires radical change for others. These are the places grit is born and grows and becomes infectious. Michael Jordan was cut from his highschool basketball team; he went on to become one of the NBA’s all-time best athletes. Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a shark attack; with one arm, she became a pro surfer. Micheal Phelps suffered from ADHD and has 8 Olympic gold medals to his credit for swimming. Kieran Behan lived through life-threatening cancer and a severe brain injury; he qualified for the 2012 Olympic games in London.1 These athletes are legendary because of the grit they demonstrated to persevere through their pain, fears and adversity. The world draws on their stories to find inspiration and hope. What about Adela who lost her right leg to cancer when she was only 10 years old? She is now a nurse in Toronto and helps others journey through cancer treatment. Arden came to Canada as a refugee when he was 12. He had seen atrocities beyond words and experienced homelessness and hunger. He embraced every opportunity to integrate into his new country; overcoming cultural, language, and financial barriers. He presently works as a software engineer and has a wife, two children, and a home in Mississauga, Ontario. Nadia would sleep in her closet to hide from her abuser. She fled to the streets and became a heroin addict to numb the pain from her past. To pay for her addiction she prostituted herself. Today, she is clean. She works as an addiction counselor helping others confront their pain and be released from their addictions. These are inspiring stories but let’s face it, we rarely hear the word, grit, used to describe seemingly average people who have faced extraordinary adversity. It’s when Stuart wakes up each day and gets out of bed as depression weighs down on him and he feels like he’d rather die. It’s when Nguyen had the courage to walk away from an abusive relationship. It’s when Marco rejects the negative stories his head tells him which are untrue. It’s when Mela consciously pauses, allowing powerful emotions to pass through her before responding. It’s when I resist the intense desire to overreact and accept that my brain sometimes malfunctions as a result of a traumatic past. It’s when we turn inward to confront feelings like guilt and shame; releasing them and finding a lightness and freedom for the first time ever. These are the places grit resides. “Some say you need to stand on top of the world to accomplish greatness when really you just need to stand on top of your own fears.” - Ray Slejska It’s our own courageous human struggles as we face fears and take on challenging emotional and physical pain that can help us find our grit and become a beacon of inspiration for others. Grit is defined as the firmness of mind or spirit: unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.2 Angela Duckworth, psychologist and author of, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance explains that grit is a mental toughness that helps you persevere even in the face of obstacles.3 When we face our hardships and not deny or run from them, we nurture our own mental toughness and grit. Our failures and imperfections provide rich knowledge and wisdom to support the development of courage, conscientiousness, perseverance, resilience, and passion; the essential ingredients of grit. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.” (Winston Churchill) “Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals,” says Duckworth. Imagine what it might be like to embrace this next quote? “Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality.”4 It allows you and your circumstances to be less than ideal right now. It opens up the idea that your present challenge is part of this gritty journey that you are on, but not all of it. Now, are you starting to see the transformational power of grit? _____________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Locke, R. (2015, May 18). The Stories Of These 5 Athletes Will Motivate Everyone Of You. Retrieved January 08, 2021, from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/the-stories-these-5-athletes-will-motivate-everyone-you.html 2 Grit. (n.d.). Retrieved January 08, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grit 3 Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Harper Collins Publishers. Ltd. 4 Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Harper Collins Publishers. Ltd.
Self-Sabotage: A Survivor’s Shame in Practice
Self-Sabotage Written by Maria Barcelos, Executive Director, MA, RP (Qualifying) What is it? What does it look like? Just ask any survivor of childhood sexual abuse. We have all done it at one point or another. Good news, we can undo it. We do have capacity to stop ourselves when we deliberately are thinking or doing things to self-sabotage. I recently read an article written by Nick Wignall – clinical psychologist, writer, teacher, and podcaster where he defined self-sabotage as “when you undermine your own goals and values.” For survivors of childhood sexual abuse, often decades go by before we have found our voice to define what beliefs we have about ourselves that formed these values and inform our goals. Most of us carry insurmountable levels of shame, guilt and fear of rejection. Most of us “know” what we can do to live a better life. Yet, the ugliness of shame makes its way into our minds, feelings and behaviours to keep the self-sabotage, the shame in practice. Who do you think you are to be doing this? If you tell someone, they will not accept you as you are. You are too (fill in the blank) to do this. Sometimes, we don’t even realize we are self-sabotaging in the moment that it is taking place. Wignall calls this unconscious self-sabotage. What are some of the ways you’re self-sabotaging? Common examples include procrastination; putting activities off to the last possible second. Do you think you deserve to be stressed out or not worthy of being successful? Fear of success is something I have heard many survivors tell me they experience. Fear of intimacy or rejecting help when you know you need it most. How about rejecting a possible friendship because the person cares about you or walking away from a loving relationship because you didn’t feel deserving of love. Wignall highlights 5 steps to help develop healthier actions to diminish self-sabotaging behaviours. Understand the purpose does self-sabotage serves in your life. Recognize different healthy behaviors that fill the need identified above Plan for obstacles in case your one of your healthy behaviours cannot be met in the original way planned. Improve your acceptance for uncomfortable emotions Clarify your values Remember, you are not alone in your struggles with self-sabotage. You are strong, worthy and capable of living your best life. Check out an extended discussion on what is self-sabotage, thoughts, feelings and behaviours depicting examples of it. Click link below.
Loverin’s Law
Loverin’s Law Charmaine Loverin is a Mom, Peer Facilitator, Mental Health Advocate and soon to be Author of her autobiography. For the past several years, Charmaine has dedicated her energy to petitioning the Ontario Government to put forth Loverin’s Law. This legislative process has not been easy, despite all the challenges she has been through, she kept moving forward to ensure that this becomes a reality. She needs your support today. Please DM Charmaine on Facebook to sign the petition.
Gratitude for Your Body & Brain
Gratitude for Your Body & Brain By Sherry Slejska Gratitude; a feeling of appreciation and one which good parents are quick to teach their children at a young age. While it might be the culturally appropriate auto reply we use to follow a welcomed exchange, it’s far deeper than a simple exchange. Gratitude is an acknowledgment of the good in one’s life. When we immerse ourselves in experiencing gratitude as opposed to a surface level expression, the experience can transform you. According to; Dr. Robert A. Ammons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, experts on the subject matter of gratitude; individuals who consistently write about things they are thankful for, were more optimistic and felt better. “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – Proverb Optimism is a character trait that proclaims, “something good is going to happen”. It’s the product of positive emotions such as gratitude. Your emotions influence your sense of gratitude and gratitude influences your emotions. Combined they have the power to transform your body’s chemical and neurological existence: subsequently, the creation of dopamine and serotonin are increased, amplifying and prolonging a sense of wellness, mentally and physically – a cycle of positiveness continues. Initially, your efforts might need to be intentional as you mindfully incorporate a period of gratitude into your daily activities but over time your efforts are rewarded with a new default. Through regularly practicing gratitude, we can actually change our neural pathways in our brains. Over time, your former default setting, which may have been self-defeating negative thoughts become the less desired path for your brain to use. This can reduce anxiety and depression and produce a sustainable and more resilient new version of your mind The effect of gratitude on the brain is long-lasting (Moll, Zahn, et al. 2007). Gratitude helps release negative emotions; gratitude can reduce emotional and physical pain. In the Counting Blessings vs Burdens (2003), a study on the effect of gratitude on the body, 16% of people who kept a gratitude journal reported a reduction in physical pain. Gratitude can improve emotional resilience by helping us to notice the positive things in life. When this occurs negative ruminations are exchanged for optimism. To seek reasons to be grateful, even when things are tough, helps us accept the past and present so we are better able to take on the future with a clear mind. Here are a few ways you can get started: Keep a daily gratitude journal. Give yourself and others compliments as an expression of appreciation. Reach out to someone who you feel grateful for and express that gratitude to them or send them an email or text. Write a post it note of things you are grateful for and leave them around your house to see. Meditate and pray about that which you are grateful for. Select a time each day and set a reminder to look around and choose three things you are grateful for. Create gratitude lists. Look at any item and describe it to yourself with a sense of appreciation and wonder. Eventually, progress to find something to be grateful for in every good and difficult circumstance. Now, you’re starting to build resilience through gratitude! So gratitude is truly backed with goodness for the body and mind; let’s not neglect relationships. A healthy human experience requires supportive relationships. People who express and live in gratitude are enjoyable to be around – that’s reason enough to be grateful!
7 Ways To Improve Distress Tolerance
7 Ways To Improve Distress Tolerance The ability to manage one’s emotional state in response to stress-inducing factors is what is called distress tolerance. Some people can encounter incredibly stressful situations and remain calm and composed; taking a logical approach to manage a situation and then move beyond the situation and resume where they left off before the intrusion. This is a wonderful character trait that is part of genetics, how they were raised, their present circumstance, and good mental health conditioning. Trauma survivors, individuals with PTSD, CPTSD, and borderline personality disorder can be more sensitive to stressors in their life, especially when they can not predict them. For me, it tends to be when I perceive that I have disappointed someone and so my danger system kicks in; I get a jolt of adrenaline, and my fight, flight, faun response takes over. It’s most common for me to want to flee the situation. I do this in two ways; physically and mentally. I want to leave the situation, person, space, and be alone and I can, at times completely blackout for a few moments. To someone who doesn’t live with the impact of developmental trauma like I do, this can seem like an extreme response, but to those who fight a mental health battle every day, this is intrusive and impacts our ability to function in our everyday lives. There are some tried and true approaches to improving the management of these responses which even the healthiest person can benefit from and here are 7 of my favorite. Time-Outs Remember when you were a child and you were given a time-out to compose yourself, well, we never outgrew out of that need, and yet we often do not take the restorative break. After all, we somehow think we always have too much to do. Even a few minutes of quiet in the midst of a hectic day can reset your system enough to improve your ability to emotionally manage the next challenge that comes your way. I now take breaks, even when I don’t think I need them. I plan dates out and fun activities so I have something to look forward to and when I know my nervous system has just been activated, I find a reason to take a break and go for a walk, sit still and meditate, pray or do anything which nurtures me and gives me space from my day or the provoking situation. Consider setting an appointment on your calendar with a personal reminder to take a break every few hours. Focus on Your Personal Values Every organization takes time to establish the values they wish to base their decisions on. It’s quite powerful for you to do the same. Write your values down and put them somewhere that you can see them every day; this will help you stay focused on what matters most to you. The other thing to keep in mind is that what you value may not be what someone else values; thus allowing you to be you and others to be who they are. Finally, try to act on these values, at least supporting one each day. Start today by writing out 3 things that you feel should steer your value-based decisions and place and place them on your fridge. Practice Safe-Place Visualization This is a form of meditation and is very easy to do and not very time consuming but can improve your ability to tolerate stress in a powerful way; Relax and be mindfully aware of your breathing Engage your imagination by thinking about a safe place – it can be real or imaginary. Use your imagination and build a scene in your mind of what you see, hear, and maybe what you might be able to touch. Make it as peaceful and calm as possible. Stay there for 5 minutes. This can be done pretty much anywhere, is not intrusive to anyone else, and can improve your stress tolerance and even improve your overall mental performance. I like to use my scheduled break times (as above). Relax Using Soothing Sounds Calming music and sounds from nature, such as a babbling brook or birds chirping have been proven to calm the nervous system. Scientists now know that our body responds to calm music and sounds in a variety of ways; hormones are released to induce a sense of well being, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, muscle tension eases, breathing can become slower. My go-to is a little smooth jazz but to each their own.1 But when music is unavailable I seem to always find a bird this time of year to listen to. Distract Your Thoughts I remember when my daughter was young and I needed to take her for her vaccine. The best way to get through the distressing situation for her and I was to find a distraction. We would talk about something unrelated to the needle she was about to get; point out stuff in the room, count to 3, or play imagination games – you get the idea. so next time your mind goes to the negative side or becomes anxious, intentionally distract yourself. Do Something Pleasurable It sounds easy; live a little, enjoy life, have some fun! Today I challenge you to make a list of activities you enjoy, once enjoyed, or would like to try. By committing to do something pleasurable every day you boost feel-good chemicals in your body such as dopamine and serotonin. Now take out your calendar and actually schedule these activities in. Enjoy! Oh, that’s the idea. Scents Make Sense Oh, you have to forgive my play on words – I can get carried away. Face it, good smells make you feel good and pungent smells can make you want to vomit. In a world where most public places have a scent-free policy, I sneak it. I keep my favorite hand lotion in my purse
Peer Support Means Journeying with One Another
Peer Support Means Journeying with One Another I was in the car driving when my phone rang, it was one of the group members in my peer support group that I attend at The Gatehouse. I answered the call since I was alone, and the call went directly to Bluetooth. Before I could speak, I heard her voice and her feelings poured out like a river of pain. She was crying and I knew all too well what state of mind she must be in as I too have been there and will likely visit that dark and lonely place of torture again. She was having an emotional flashback. As my fellow traveler on the journey of healing would describe it, “I am so filled with guilt and shame.” I started to shed silent tears and soon composed myself as I wanted and needed to be there for her. “Breathe,” I said. “You know what to do. A big belly breath in and slow and steady out.” (Breathing is so important to help your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system become balanced once again). She started to calm. “What are you seeing, smelling, hearing?” (This, we call grounding and helps someone in distress move away from their emotions so they can compose themselves and think logically. This reduces the impact and shortens the emotional flashback). I allowed her a few moments while I danced around traffic but reminded her that I am here for her and that she is not alone. I told her that she is loved. “ She sobbed quietly over the phone and I heard her moan, “I was so little.” “Yes you were”, I said. Then I asked her if that little preschool girl could possibly be responsible for what she was subject to at that age?” She said, “no, no she’s not”. “So, does she deserve the guilt and shame?” Calm arrived and we both exchanged words of gratitude, encouragement, and compassion. When a child experiences such a trauma, a person can relive all of the emotional and physical feelings. For years we exist, not knowing why overwhelming feelings can consume us. Understanding how the trauma impacts us can help us address each of the symptoms and as a community, we support one another to find the healing we have longed for. The Gatehouse staff and volunteers are trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques which use to empower the program participants; we, in turn, become equipped to manage ourselves and support one another’s healing journey. Once we experience a taste of healing, we crave it more, and eventually, the confident, compassionate, whole-person that we were always meant to be is given life. Healing allows us to love ourselves, and others.
Trauma Impacts The Body & Mind
Trauma Impacts The Body & Mind I had unusual physical symptoms for more than a decade that no medical professional was able to diagnose. In 2005 when my first son was born I started to experience unusual symptoms such as intense, unusual fatigue, left-sided headaches, tingling in my left hand and foot, mild balance and perceptual difficulties, attention, and memory problems to name a few. For years I saw specialists, had MRIs and follow-ups all to be told: “there’s nothing wrong with you”. I came to believe that this was simply the exhaustion from motherhood. In 2012 the fatigue was worsening, so started working with a biofeedback specialist/practitioner and began a regular meditation and tai chi practice. 2013 was probably the best year I’d had in years! I felt calmer, had more energy, felt mentally more clear, more present, and connected to my sons – I had another son in 2008! I was enjoying my work at a local hospital too and appreciating social connections. However, symptoms started to worsen again making it difficult to do day to day activities such as housework, parenting, and work. Yet I continued to struggle in silence and alone, not telling anyone how difficult things were. In 2014 after more than a year of working with my practitioner and doing my daily practices, images of an uncle started to appear. At first, they felt pleasant and welcoming. However, as the months continued these feelings would switch to feelings of confusion and discomfort. I started to wonder if something inappropriate had happened with him when I was a child growing up in Kenya, East Africa. But it made no sense to me – how could I completely have forgotten something like that? “This art at Gatehouse caught my eye many years ago and now it makes so much sense. I suffered alone and in silence for way too long – I do not want others to ever suffer alone or in silence.” (Left) Yet in hindsight, I also see I have very little memories of my childhood and that it is very normal to forget. It’s a survival response. It took a full year to say to someone close to me that I trusted, “I think my uncle sexually abused me”. And then I shut down again. I couldn’t believe I’d said it out loud and in fact, didn’t want to talk about it anymore as it all felt so confusing and unclear. I came across a Gatehouse and registered for the Phase 1 Women’s Group, however dropped out even before it started. In my mind, I thought, “I’m ok, nothing wrong”. This belief was so deeply ingrained from my upbringing. This included growing up being constantly told not to allow or feel my feelings. Anger for sure was never ever allowed in my home. I plodded along on a journey that felt very lonely. I understand now that feeling alone and lonely is in fact a hallmark of trauma. I recall attending the Partners Program by Gatehouse in 2016 and watching a TED Talk by Brene Brown. It hit me so deeply how lonely I had been ALL my life. In the fall of 2016, my body finally said NO. No more avoiding, no more brushing it under the rug, no more resistance – you have to heal. The leg pain had worsened, the fatigue had worsened – to the point that as I worked with my stroke patients, I would have to sit down even before they needed to. When I made meals or washed dishes in my kitchen, my legs felt like they could only support me for 10 to 15 minutes before I needed to sit down. When my children wanted to play, I only had the endurance for short periods. They came to learn – mommy gets tired and once my younger son said, “mommy come outside and play with me, I’ll get a chair for you because I know you get tired”. This broke my heart. There was no way these health issues were going to rob me from being the mother I wanted to be. My sons were my driving force to get better and to understand what was going on with me. In December 2015 I finally ended up going on medical leave from my job and this was the second last straw that made me see I had to face childhood sexual trauma. The last straw was a concussion in April 2018! I attended Gatehouses Phase 1 and 2 programs in 2016 – they were a gift in helping me see that I am not alone. It brought awareness to how childhood sexual trauma affects us in both subtle and profound ways. Especially our sense of worth, body image, confidence, ability to speak up, have boundaries, relationships, physical health. I really started to understand why my physical symptoms started with the birth of my son. I also worked with my body through nutrition, herbal medicine, tai chi, and bodywork to process all the trauma, much of which I still did not remember in my mind. But my body did. I am currently enrolled in the Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Training program as this too was a gift in uncovering all the emotions buried deep in my body that were also causing physical symptoms as I was so unaware of them. I now live a full life, where I feel healthier, more present, happier, and more connected to others. I am the amazing mom I want to be with my sons! Many of those symptoms I struggled with for years have now lifted. I continue to listen to my body though as it often tells me when I need to slow down or look at something I may be avoiding. Gatehouse helped me become aware of how much childhood sexual trauma had affected me all my life – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It provided a safe place in which I felt heard and understood, and
The Body Keeps The Score Book Review
Review of The Body Keeps the Score; by Bessel van der Kolk As one of the world’s top experts on traumatic stress, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, helps the reader understand how trauma impacts and changes the mind and body of the affected. He then unfolds the progression of research and treatment; helping the reader appreciate that the trauma survivor’s brain changes and their body can be significantly impacted, amplifying the suffering of the individual. The information is presented in a slightly more academic approach than some readers may be comfortable with; but if you are interested in truly understanding what is going on in the the brain, nervous system, chemistry of the body and how symptoms can be treated, your investment in time to read this book will be incredibly helpful for your pursuit of healing. For those who support trauma survivors; the insights will help you not only appreciate the extent of suffering a survivor can experience, but you will be better equipped to help liberate those you care about. The book initially goes into the impact of trauma on military veterans but doesn’t focus exclusively on that, so don’t put the book down – there is lots of nuggets to help the Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivor and developmental trauma is well addressed. The following covers some of my own personal takeaways from his book, I share them with you and encourage you to read the book to fully explore how it applies uniquely to you. Trauma Causes Agonizing Guilt & Shame Bessel writes about how those who experience extreme forms of trauma; the kind soldiers might experience; domestic abuse survivors and child abuse survivors are subject to; they all seem to be weighed down by deep guilt and shame. These feelings stem from what they may have done, or not done to prevent the trauma they experienced. The Gatehouse Phase 1 program delves into this; helping the peer groups to understand that the guilt and shame is not theirs to own. This is transforming for the participant and opens one up for self compassion; a critical step towards healing deep emotional wounds. Trauma Changes The Brain MRI scans of the brains of trauma survivors provide clear evidence that the trauma survivors’ brain shows considerable differences when compared to a normal healthy brain. In some cases, early childhood trauma can even prevent critical areas of the brain to fully develop. It’s common for a CSA survivor to have neural pathways which fast track to the emotional brain (limbic system) rather than filtering thoughts through the thinking brain (cognitive ). Essentially, PTSD & CPTSD are the result of actual brain injuries. Phase 2 of the Gatehouse program further dives into the neuroscience of this and how we can embrace the power of the brain’s own plasticity to support the healing of the brain. Trauma Changes The Nervous System Contrary to popular belief, trauma is not all in your head; it impacts your parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system which regulates the physical sensations around the flight, fight, or freeze response PTSD sufferers typically have a challenge regulating. The vagus nerve is another critical system which controls areas in your body. Your trachea, esophagus, pancreas, liver, colon, stomach are among some of the more well known body parts which are severely impacted by trauma. Trauma Is Treatable After exploring the many impacts of trauma, Bessel shares what scientists have learned about management of symptoms and promoting healing. He gives the reader hope of a better future; sharing how yoga, mindfulness, meditation, music, art can all promote new neural pathways, better regulations of the nervous system. He also shares the promising results of therapeutic use of neurofeedback to train brain waves to better serve the individuals need for emotional and physical regulation. Building a Trauma-Conscious Society Dr. Bessel van der Kolf concludes his book, The Body Keeps The Score with a message of hope; nearly everyday new information is learned about the traumatized brain and how it can be repaired. Society is learning to accept that trauma is not the fault of the victim but does have consequences to the society as a whole. Until the day comes that there is a clear path to healing; I say, let’s fold the healing into our life journey. Making our story of trauma and road to recovery be a motivator to others to be active in the prevention and healing. Click the link below to purchase this book on Amazon.
AGM Thurs. June 25th 4pm EST on Zoom
The Annual General Meeting for The Gatehouse will be taking place virtually on Zoom on Thursday, June 25th at 4 pm EST. Agenda Available Here Annual Report Here Financial Statements Here The following slate of nominees is presented to the Board of Directors for 2019 to 2020: For the 1-year term: Sabra Desai, Co-Chair Gigi D’Souza, Treasurer Jeanette Emery, Secretary Nilmini Perera, Director Lisa Crooker, Director Carol Smith, Director Mark Davidson, Director Please email Maria Barcelos, Executive Director to RSVP for the upcoming ONLINE AGM. A link will be emailed to you. We do not post meeting links online and share them with members only. We would like to see as many members attend as possible. You can join via the ZOOM app on your phone or computer. Membership is $10 per year. If you have not yet paid your membership fee for 2020, please go to http://thegatehouse.org/become-a-member/ to pay online using a credit card or PayPal.
COVID19 Update – ONLINE GROUPS
The health and safety of our group participants, volunteers, placement students, and staff continue to be our priority. All Gatehouse in person groups are cancelled until further notice. We continue efforts to respond responsibly to contain the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and have moved many of our programs online using virtual group meetings. An intake is required prior to attending an online group. To schedule an over the phone or virtual video conferencing intake, please contact: Stephanie Alves at stephanie@thegatehouse.org for Phase 1 Evening/Day Groups Paula Cordeiro at pcordeiro@thegatehouse.org for Partners Support /Young Adult Groups There is a form that potential group participants must complete as part of the intake process. Please click on—-> INTAKE FORM_The Gatehouse 2020 If you have completed a phase 1 group and wish to join a phase 2 group online, please contact me directly via email. There is a registration form for phase 2 that is required prior. You may download the PHASE-2- Registration Form here If you need crisis support, please contact Distress Centre: 416-408-HELP (4357) offers access to emotional support from the safety and security of the closest telephone. Callers can express their thoughts and feelings in confidence. Callers’ issues can include problems related to domestic violence, social isolation, suicide, addictions, mental and physical health concerns. The Distress Centre offers emotional support, crisis intervention, suicide prevention and linkage to emergency help when necessary. Gerstein Centre: (416) 929-5200 provides crisis intervention to adults, living in the City of Toronto, who experience mental health problems. The service has three aspects; telephone support, community visits and a ten-bed, short-stay residence. All three aspects of the service are accessed through the crisis line. We hope to resume full programs and services in the near future and will update this page with details as they become available to us. We are following Public Health Authorities recommendations. As a charitable organization, we rely on your support to continue delivering much-needed peer support programs for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. We need your support! CLICK HERE TO DONATE! If you have any questions, kindly contact me via email at mbarcelos@thegatehouse.org Stay safe and healthy. We are all in this together. Maria Barcelos, MA[c], B.A. she/her/hers pronouns Executive Director 416-255-5900 x225 | http://thegatehouse.org/ 3101 Lake Shore Blvd. West, Toronto, ON M8V 3W8 Registered Charity with CRA #869730648 RR 0001 Please consider making a donation to help The Gatehouse The Gatehouse, a community based charitable organization that provides much-needed support, resources, and community to survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Survivors of sexual abuse are in desperate need of our support and services and The Gatehouse relies on the generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to fund and expand our creative programs including peer support groups, art therapy, wellness workshops, conferences, and the investigation support program. You can donate one time or donate monthly. Your donation helps to transform the lives of those victimized by childhood sexual abuse. Use the form below donate. Thank you for your support.