This guest blog was written by Sojourner's current MSW intern Hannah who is attending the University of Minnesota and has been with us for the past seven months.
Part of my role as an intern is to co-facilitate our support group which is available to women who have experienced domestic abuse. When completing intakes for support group, the most common reasons I’ve heard that people want to join group is “so I don’t feel crazy anymore,” “so I don’t feel alone,” and “because no one really understands what I’ve been through.” With a group member’s first meeting, they may stay quiet or may choose to talk, but no matter what, the group shares with the new member a sense gladness that they are there and that they can now be together in processing.
As support group has flowed and I have been a co-facilitator, I have seen the true power of mutual aid, the power of being heard and validated, and the power of holding one another up through the ongoing challenges of healing from abuse. In moments where I have been unsure of what to say, group members have offered up support that is much more powerful and meaningful than anything that I could have said and that is what I find most special about that space. During my time in group, I have observed growth and challenges, healing and heartache, and above all a commitment to community support.