A healing partnership

Many men seeking help with their addictions at The Ottawa Mission have dealt with past trauma in their lives, specifically physical or sexual abuse. No one will ever know for sure how many men are sexually abused as children, but some stats suggest that as many as 1 in 6 experience sexual abuse by age 18.

The Mission’s addiction treatment programs are focused on issues related to trauma but now, thanks to a new partnership with an Ottawa counselling agency, clients who have suffered past abuse are getting access to even more specialized treatment. The Men’s Project is a non-profit charitable counselling agency that has been providing services to men and their families since 1997. They tailor individual programs to specifically meet men’s needs.

The Mission and The Men’s Project have partnered to offer Men & Healing, a program designed specifically for men who have experienced childhood physical and/or sexual abuse.   The  “Phase One” group runs for 6 weeks, while “Phase Two”  is offered in 10 week segments.  Phase One helps to educate the men about how they have been affected by their past trauma and how to rebuild a sense of safety and trust in their lives. They learn emotional coping skills and how to build healthier relationships.  In Phase Two, the focus is on processing the trauma and integrating their new skills at a deeper level.

Despite the partnership being relatively new, the feedback is positive and the success stories are growing. Those participating in the Men’s Project tell us that their road to recovery is made stronger by the knowledge they have gained through this wonderful partnership.

Together we are bringing renewed hope to men who have been suffering in silence for many years.