"Reclaim Your Story" Program

"Reclaim Your Story" or (RYS) is a 3 month community expressive arts healing program for members that have been directly and indirectly impacted by SA and DV. There are optional community wellness opportunities (learn more below).

This program consisits of: 

1. Four Guided Expressive Arts Facilitated Sessions with the Intention to RECLAIM Your Story 
2. Flexible & Consistent Check-ins with an Assigned Reclamation Coach
3. Community Opportunities - optional & supplemental 

Program Sessions: 

There are a total of 4 sessions that take place over a 3 month period. 

1. Thursday December 8, 2022 @7:00 - 9:00 pm CST (Virtual Over Zoom) 
2. Sunday January 15, 2023 @10:00 am - 12:00 pm CST (In-Person, Chicago/Evanston, location TBD)
3. Sunday February 5, 2023 @10:00 am - 12:00 pm CST (In-Person, Chicago/Evanston, location TBD)
4. Monday February 27, 2023 @7:00 - 9:00 pm CST (Virtual Over Zoom) 

Optional, Supplemental Community Opportunities:

• Community Wellness Groups - throughout the duration of the program 
• Community Performance Night - Saturday February 25, 2023

FAQ - Common Questions 

Is there a fee for this program?

RYS is completely free, thanks to generous donations from our community. 

What is the enrollment process like?

1. Complete the simple Enrollment Form on this website (approx 2 minutes). 

2. Our Care Team will contact you within 48 hours to set up a short phone call to walk through the program and answer any questions you may have. We want you to feel excited and prepared for our first session together!

3. Submit your [confidential] registration forms prior to the first session. We'll walk you through all of this in our initial call together. 

Is this a therapy group?

While some of our facilitators may be fully licensed professionals, Reclaim Your Story is not a therapy group! You can think of this program as an emotional support group that provides therapeutic benefits. There may be similarities in how therapy groups and support groups are set up to protect the privacy of our members. If any member requires a higher level of support or a referral for therapy support, our Care Guides/Reclamation Coaches will be able to provide next steps. Learn more here.

Do I need a background in art to participate?

Absolutely not! Our trained facilitators will guide all participants through each session and art modality.

Do I need to attend all 4 sessions to participate?

While we encourage all cohort members to attend all four sessions, we understand that sometimes emergencies arise. Our Care Team is here to support you throughout the duration of this program and encourage communication with your Reclamation Coach so that we can create the best possible experience for all members.

If you’re interested in SR’s programs but not able to commit to RYS, please contact our team at info@selfreclaimed.org

Can I just sign up for a single session?

While Self-Reclaimed typically offers drop-in sessions, we are not opening this program up for drop-ins. RYS is designed to support a consistent cohort of individuals to not only build trust among the group, but to also build upon each session.

Where are the locations for this program?

Session #1 and #4 are both held virtually over Zoom.

Session #2 and #3 are both held in-person. The exact location for these sessions are TBD as we will need to know the final count of participants for the program before finalizing a location, however, in-person sessions will take place in the Chicago/Evanston, IL area.

We unfortunately cannot provide hybrid options at this time, in order to curate the best possible experience that is safe, intimate, and impactful. 

What do you mean by individuals who have been directly or indirectly impacted by SA or DV?

We recognize that the impact of sexual assault and domestic violence is wide in scope. Not only does it cause tremendous harm to the individual who has been directly assaulted, but it can also deeply affect their friends and loved ones. SA and DV can include a diverse range of experiences and, as such, the effects of SA and DV on the victim/survivor and the community at large are also diverse.

Are your programs only for women?

While we acknowledge that SA and DV disproportionately harms women, we strive to create a diverse and safe space for people of all identities to find healing.

We honor that this could be triggering for anyone who is impacted by the opposite sex. In this case, we encourage you to receive support from our 1:1 Care Guidance offering or stay connected when we release affinity group programs. We're more than happy to connect you with one of our partners or fellow survivor-centered organizations. 

How do the optional Community Wellness Groups work?

Between each RYS session, Reclamation Coaches will work with members to identify what has been working for them in terms of their own self-care or healing practices, such as if they like running, yoga, or going to the park with their dog. If program members would like to share their healing activities and coordinate meetups, our Reclamation Coaches will inquire if the program member would like the activity to be shared within their own cohort or if they are open for it to be inclusive to the wider community. We identify these meetups as Community Wellness Groups, and they are co-created ad-hoc with the member and their Reclamation Coach.

What is the optional Community Performance Night?

Taking place on Saturday, February 25, 2023, this is a night of celebrating all that we have reclaimed throughout the RYS program, while also lifting up other community members/survivors who are in various stages of their healing journey. We would love all of our RYS members to be involved in some capacity, whether that be sharing their stories of reclamation through their favorite art modality, helping our team behind the scenes with event production, and/or by attending the performance night as a witness. Of course, this is completely optional.

Funds raised through this Community Performance Night will help SR to sustain its programs and continue to provide free and accessible opportunities for survivors.

What do you mean by “Flexible & Consistent Check-ins with an Assigned Reclamation Coach?

Each Reclaim Your Story program member will be matched with one Reclamation Coach with whom they will meet minimally, once per month, to check in on their self-care practices, program goals, and overall, talk about what’s going on in their lives (because life happens).

Members will be able to discuss their intentions and goals they created for themselves at the beginning of the program and track their progress - or the ways in which their goals have shifted or transformed throughout the duration of the program. Reclamation Coaches will guide and support members by meeting them where they’re at and provide support and resources to take them where they want to go.

Meeting times will be flexible and coordinated between the member and their Reclamation Coach.

Who are the Reclamation Coaches?

Reclamation Coaches are professionals who are part of the Self-Reclaimed Fellowship Program and have received specialized training. Currently, all of SR’s Reclamation Coaches identify as female/gender fluid. All of them have a background as either health/wellness specialists and/or clinicians.

Questions prior to enrolling? 

Contact our team at info@selfreclaimed.org! One of our directors from our Care Team would be happy to talk with you via email or setup time to speak with you over the phone/virtually.