Program Participants
The healing journey after interpersonal is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Oftentimes the hardest part is taking the first step, or showing up on the first day. At The Thriving Initiative, we meet survivors, our participants, wherever they are in their journey and offer the personalized support they want/need, whatever that may look like. Every individual takes away something different from our program, learning what coping techniques are effective in their toolkit, along with what is not. We use the feedback we receive, to continuously improve our programs. Here is what a few people who have participated in our program(s) had to say about their experience.
“I learned that I am stronger than I think.”
- 2022 Participant
“I feel like I've really been neglecting my wellbeing lately and this really got me thinking about my wellness again. This program helped a lot in making me feel like I deserve to take care of myself.”
- 2022 Participant
I feel I've grown from this program by "practicing setting boundaries and kind of putting myself out there."
- 2023 Participant
I was able to keep showing up because of: "the friendliness and community feel of it. I wanted to see you all and catch up. The ease of 'come as you are'. Knowing that at the times when I feel I absolutely don't have the time (aka now for me), that's when I need it the most. This forced me to slow down and care for myself a bit.
- 2021 Participant
"This workshop always feels like a breath of fresh air. I always leave the workshop grinning from ear to ear. I feel like I have gained every single sense of coping strategies from this workshop. The providers made me drastically shift my perceptions of how I was doing for the better, and gave me tools to process things better."
- 2023 Participant
"I feel like I’ve learned new ways to cope and also how to understand my feelings a lot better"
- 2023 Participant
What enabled me to keep showing up each week was "the community, knowledge, and acknowledgment."
- 2023 Participant
"I can definitely feel the difference in my confidence and inner peace because of this program."
- 2023 Participant
"I’ve been having a really hard time; exhausted and anxious. But I didn't feel like this during the workshops."
- 2022 Participant
"I honestly LOVED the unique workshops. even the ones that felt simple. It was a wide range of providers, and I learned SO many ways to handle, stressful periods, and feel like myself again."
- 2023 Participant
"I think I felt less alone, and less like the world hates/doesn’t care about people like me. I also had the courage to try new things. I might not have thought of since new things can be anxiety-inducing."
- 2023 Participant
“I learned how to create a really quick friendship with someone in my session.”
- 2023 Participant
"This workshop lined up with a very difficult time in my [life] regarding past trauma. It’s been incredibly difficult. Having a trigger-free place to let my guard down for once is irreplaceable. Being able to work on feeling safe in my body and my mind, without mention of trauma so important to me."
- 2021 Participant
Participant's note to self: "This program helped you rediscover your artistic side. It helped you reconnect with writing, with using your hands, with processing. These are lessons you can take with you for the rest of your life. May you never forget them again."
- 2023 Participant
“I felt a HUGE moment of growth when we were in our first week of the visual journaling workshop because I was able to remove the expectations I had from myself and do my own thing when I felt like we were moving too fast. I felt encouraged by the space we had created in that it was emphasized that everything in our weeks together was optional. Having the freedom to say 'no' even in the silence of my room was really powerful."
- 2021 Participant
“I feel more stable and more aware of how many self-care activities are available to me.”
- 2021 Participant
"I feel that I have learned how to accept some parts of myself with ease, love those parts, and make friends/ community with others who have experienced similar things without oversharing."
- 2023 Participant
“[I felt] SO stressed and overwhelmed from work - but extremely supported by this group. I really needed this group and felt very fortunate and grateful to have access to it.”
- 2021 Participant
"I've had a really tough quarter and I have felt really supported. In terms of growth, I feel like I'm understanding a bit more about spiritual energy, which is really cool!"
- 2021 Participant
“Reminding myself of the power of journaling, and creating without judgment. Boundary and communication skills.”
- 2021 Participant
"This workshop lined up with a very difficult time in my [life] regarding past trauma. It’s been incredibly difficult. Having a trigger-free place to let my guard down for once is irreplaceable. Being able to work on feeling safe in my body and my mind, without mention of trauma so important to me."
- 2023 Participant
“I felt like I had a safe space to go to every week and it gave me something to look forward to mid-week.”
- 2023 Participant
"Getting to try new things that I enjoy and really learning how to get in touch with my feelings have helped me express myself. Also, after the workshop, I saw that overall my mood would improve."
- 2023 Participant
"It’s a break in my week, where self-care is mandatory, not just 'if I have time'".
- 2023 Participant
"I started journaling again daily now. I was encouraged by this program to learn to devote in myself, so I can maybe even anticipate what I may need during a hard time, or make a hard time easier."
- 2023 Participant
Interested in learning more about our programs or registering to participate?
Questions? Connect with our Program Manager Emma Wolters at ewolters@thethrivinginitiative.org