Battered Women's Support Services

Support Groups

To view the schedule and more information about the Fall '07 Support Groups click here.

Women's empowerment Through Group Support
Groups are intrinsic to empowerment and empowerment is at the heart of healing from the oppression of abuse and violence.  

BWSS is committed to offering support groups to women dealing with abuse and its effects. The BWSS Women's Support Group Program provides a safe place for women to connect with each other in order to alleviate isolation, share information, raise awareness, heal by developing coping and recovery skills and plan for a life free from abuse. Women who attend BWSS Support Groups are making changes in their lives and reducing or eliminating the generational effects on their children. 

BWSS Support Group program is intended to meet the needs of women who are or have been abused in their intimate relationships, women survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and adult sexual assault. We design our support services to meet the needs of marginalized women. We intend to provide support groups to women based on their specific needs as they relate to their race (women of colour), experience of colonization (Aboriginal women), culture/ethnicity, immigration, refugee experiences, sexual orientation (lesbian battering), age (youth dating violence, mature women/elder abuse), poverty and women with disabilities. 

For more information or to sign up for a group, call 604-687-1867 (we accept collect calls) or email supportgroups@bwss.org.

Please note that we only answer calls and emails during office hours. If you need support or information outside of BWSS office hours, call WAVAW at 604-255-6344 or toll-free 1-877-392-7583 or Victims Link Helpline at 1-800-563-0808. See Links page for services outside the Lower Mainland.

Drop-in Support Groups
Held every Tuesday afternoon at BWSS office and on Tuesday evenings at Downtown Eastside Women's Centre

Women Seeking Safety Counselling
Group for women survivors of trauma who have co-existing substance use issues

Trauma Recovery and Empowerment
For women survivors of trauma — Stage 1 and Stage 2

Ten-Week Support Groups
• For Lesbian and Bi-Sexual women who have experienced abuse in their relationship with women

• Ten-week groups are also offered for specific groups such as First Nation's women, Spanish-speaking, Polish Speaking, women of colour and women with disabilities. Group members decide which topics to cover during the groups.

Healthy Relationships and Beyond
Counselling group for children who have witnessed their mother's abuse

Inside the Circle Healing Group
For Aboriginal women survivors of residential school

Training for Service Providers
BWSS offers workshops for service providers on group facilitation skills and emerging issues related to providing support for women who have experienced violence. Contact the Support Group Program for more information or see the Education and Training page for more about BWSS workshops.

Special thanks to the City of Vancouver for their ongoing financial support for the Support Group Program and to the Victoria Foundation for financial support for the Empowering Mothers Project.

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