Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2103

Tonight's special guest is Joanna (Jo) Price from Greensboro, North Carolina, a survivor of childhood sexual, mental and emotional abuse by her mother and step-father. She always knew it was wrong, but she thought it was all behind her when the major abuse stopped happening after her adolescent years. She didn't realize how much it would impact her life as an adult. Jo had a lot of anger stored up inside, and experienced challenges with intimate relationships. Then a friend found relevant therapy for her. However, it was difficult to consistently travel to and pay for group therapy. Jo thought that, like AA, there must be anonymous-type peer group therapy readily available. She was dismayed to discover how rare such meetings actually were, so she started her own. Joanna is the creator and organizer of the 'Survivors Anonymous Group’, a platform of private Meetup groups for the peer support Adult Survivors of Child Abuse. Along with the group's co-organizer, NAASCA family member Dwight Hurych, 'Survivors Anonymous' is based on the principles and resources of the 21-Step ‘ASCA Support’ program promoted by the Morris Center in San Francisco, CA, that aims to transform 'Survivors into Thrivers'. Meetings use the format of a private Meetup group for the anonymity and safety of its members and meeting location. The structure and guidelines facilitate a predictable and respectful environment, but have flexibility to address the needs of members when there's an overwhelming unplanned need to share. The theme of ‘Survivors Anonymous’ is “you are not alone.”