A Disorder for Everyone – a trauma informed alternative
“I was exasperated with the whole ‘disorder’ thing – it has taken over as the only way to understand distress and there is nothing hopeful about it. This event challenges it all, and, as it turns out – there is hope!” (Participant Newcastle AD4E)
RSVP is proud to be involved in a partnership event alongside the team from ‘A Disorder for Everyone.’ The event will challenge the culture of psychiatric diagnosis, explore trauma informed alternatives, examine current attitudes and aim to change the way we approach mental health. Rather than labelling people, including survivors of sexual trauma, with medical ‘disorders’ and language, we believe in choices, empowerment, trauma informed support and addressing the root causes of distress. We advocate that instead of asking ‘what’s wrong with you?’ supporters and professionals gently enquire, ‘what’s happened to you?’
“A Disorder for Everyone” – will be a dynamic and thought provoking day, welcoming well informed and passionate speakers who challenge the mainstream narrative of ‘diagnosis and disorder’ in favour of non- pathologising, trauma-informed alternatives. If you want the chance to hear innovative and an alternative narrative about mental health book your place now.
‘A Disorder For Everyone!’ is taking place on Friday 20th April, Carrs Lane Church Centre, Birmingham, B4 7SX, 09:00 – 17:00.
The day will be of interest to mental health professionals, students and trainees, academics, people with lived experience of psychiatric diagnosis, activists, carers, supporters, survivors and anyone interested in current debates about mental health.
Speakers include;
Dr Lucy Johnstone – clinical psychologist and author of ‘Users and Abusers of Psychiatry‘
Jo Watson – psychotherapist and organiser of Drop the Disorder
Nollaig McSweeney – therapist, author and activist
Dr Jacqui Dillon – survivor, author, activist and trainer, featured on BBC’s Why Did I Go Mad?
Jessica Eaton – speaker, activist and researcher in victim blaming
Dr. Akima Thomas, Black feminist, psychotherapist and recent contributor to the activists letter speaking out on sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse
RSVP, and more!
Poet Clare Shaw, survivor and activist, will also be performing.
Please click on the link below for full details and booking
The heat is on! 22nd March
Join us on the 22nd of March as we approach our 40th birthday as a charity supporting survivors of rape, childhood sexual abuse, sexual violence, trafficking, as an adult or child or both.
The need is greater than ever – the heat is on to increase support for survivors.
As the need grows, we have expanded enormously. Already we have had to increase our team of award winning ISVAs (advocates) to offer support with police and court processes, as well as our counselling staff and helpline opening hours.
Come and network with us and others for our ‘hottest’ event yet.
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Link to tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-heat-is-on-tickets-42238673008?aff=es2
Please contact Jeremy, RSVP’s corporate fundraiser, on jeremy@rsvporg.co.uk or 07793536002 for any queries or to donate prizes, sponsorship and to enter the Heat Is On Challenge
We reclaimed the night!
Last night, we marched at the University of Birmingham to demand justice for sexual abuse survivors and to demand the right to use public space without fear.
In 2017 the Guardian reported in almost every country in the world, women walk disproportionately fewer steps each day than men, according to a recent Stanford study which analysed the smartphone data of 717,527 people worldwide over 68 million days of activity. The ‘gender step gap’ is not down to laziness. It’s down to personal safety and women’s walking habits. Feeling forced to use transport instead of walking makes safety a privilege, according to Stop Street Harassment founder Holly Kearl. This option to not walk is only available if you have the financial means to access transport – which means for teenage girls in particular, cost can be a barrier to safety.
A report released last month by the Children’s Society showed one in three girls aged between 10 and 17 in Britain said they felt afraid of being followed by strangers. Multiple girls described being “beeped” at while in their school uniforms by men driving past.
In every sphere of life women and girls negotiate the threat of sexual assault and harassment. Equal citizenship cannot be claimed while this threat restricts lives. Everyone has the right to use public space without fear.
The Reclaim the Night march gives women a voice and a chance to reclaim the streets at night on a safe and empowering event.
RSVP were there along with the new university Sexual Assault Referral Centre service (SARC), increasing support for survivors on campus.
It’s Not Ok
Did you know that this week it’s Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week? What will you be doing to raise awareness of sexual abuse?
You can use the hashtag #itsnotok to raise awareness on social media.
You can read the words of survivors on our Survivor Stories page.
You can donate to our 40th birthday campaign, we’re aiming to rise £40,000 to mark our 40th year and continue supporting survivors for 40 more.
You can challenge victim blaming myths wherever you hear them. Jessica Eaton has made this fantastic 60 second video introducing the problem of victim blaming in sexual violence.
And what are RSVP doing this week?
Today, we’re at the launch of a new publication To Report or Not To Report: Survivor Testimony of the (In)Justice System by our friends at Reconnected Life. We’re proud to know some of the contributors who have shown immense courage as they speak out about their experiences.
Tonight, we’re at the University of Birmingham to Reclaim the Night, standing up against sexual violence and harassment, cat-calling and victim blaming.
And this week we’re offering 287 counselling appointments to survivors of any gender, any age in various locations around Birmingham and Solihull.
Be part of something amazing
Something amazing is happening this year and we’d love YOU to be a part of it.
2018 is RSVP’s 40th year!
Have you ever wanted to do something to benefit others?
Do you want to join a movement of people who are saying “enough is enough” about sexual abuse?
Do you want to volunteer your time and give something back to your community?
Come along to the launch of our new “Fundraising Friends” on Tuesday 30 January, Birmingham City Centre 18:00 – 20:00.
You’ll hear from award winning speaker David Hyner AND receive…
- The skills and confidence to SMASH your 2018 charitable goals and resolutions
- Techniques from 20+ years of research interviews with top achievers
- Access to £100 worth of resources post the event as a thank you for your support of our amazing charity.
There’s no obligation at all to join our initiative – you can just come along and see what it’s all about. All for the price of a voluntary, no obligation donation/entrance fee of just £10! For more information click here
Santa Cause 4 – it’s that time of year again!
Santa Cause is our annual Christmas fundraising event, an opportunity to really shout about the important work that we do, celebrate the year’s achievements and raise some extra funds to support survivors.
This year is the 4th edition and will be the biggest yet. We’ll be at Hawker Yard in Birmingham city centre on Friday 17th November from 6pm. The theme this year Christmas past, present and future, explored through delicious street food and exciting cocktails. There’ll be live performances too from Marty Elliott – performing Christmas ballads from the past, Dry Rain – performing upbeat Christmas covers and DJ Silence who will bring the party to a climax.
Fancy dress is optional – but you could win a prize!
Why not kick off the party season for charity and make it a great social occasion, network with lots of great people and make it a friend or colleagues office night out
Tickets are priced at £25.00 per person and include food and drink options.
Early Bird tickets are available until 17th October at £22.50
Group booking discount – Book 10 places and pay for 9!
Book online now via https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Birmingham/Hawker-Yard/RSVP-Santa-Cause-4—Christmas-Past-Present–Future-/13053693/
For any further information contact at jeremy@rsvporg.co.uk or on 07793536002
Feeling proud!
RSVP’s specialist LGBT ISVAs Bev & Mark were at Birmingham Pride 26-27 May and had a lovely time embracing diversity & equality while promoting our specialist service for survivors within the LGBT community. Bev & Mark had a stall set up in the marquee with our Umbrella partners sexual health testing team, Birmingham LGBT centre and Swanswell.
We enjoyed watching the parade, celebrating 50 yers since decriminalisation of homeosexuality and seeing all the community groups taking part with the colourful fun spirit of the event.; dancing along to the musical floats as they went passed.
We watched Zara Sykes perform her latest single The Right which is about violence and sexual abuse.
Bev was in the women’s arena promoting our services to LBT women, who are currently underrepresented. We hope we reached out to some of the women present, and that people know our services are there for them if ever they need them.
The increased security were a comforting reassurance following the terrorist attacks in Manchester & London. The silence in honour of those lives lost was a sombre moment yet the LGBT community continued to celebrate acceptance and diversity against the adversity.
We hope that everyone had a safe & happy pride, and have reached some of the LGBT community who may now feel more comfortable in accessing support following any sexual violence/abuse.
The Epic Vale Fest!
ValeFest did it!
The one day music festival with a difference ‘ValeFest 2017’ was held on Saturday June 3rd. This fabulous musical extravaganza is run once a year from the Vale at Birmingham University primarily to raise funds for charity. This year we were ecstatic and extremely grateful to be one of the two chosen charities, Basic Needs being the other.
The whole festival with its main and smaller stages, acoustic tent and comedy stage, amongst other things too, was organised by around 30 students. They volunteered their own time to pull together this vibrant, enjoyable and amazing day, while completing their degrees at the same time too! They showed how a group of dedicated people can achieve absolutely huge things when they collectively rally their energy, time and determination.
Fiona from our advocacy team and Lisa our CEO were delighted to attend the festival and join in the fun. Fiona chatted to students and passed on information about RSVP from our stall. Lisa recorded a piece for Burn FM radio, was filmed for Guild TV and even read out a Vagina Monologue appearing with our ongoing supporters Infinity Stage Company highlighted here in a past blog: https://rsvporg.co.uk/blog/infinity-stage-company-make-rsvp-their-charity-of-the-year/
The monologue was about consent and respect and we will write more about this in a later blog. Afterwards Lisa spoke on the main stage to let the 4,000 plus festival goers know about the services that RSVP offers. She also wanted everyone to know how enormously grateful we were for their support.
This year the vibrant day finished with a celebration that they had raised a record breaking amount for their charities. Although ValeFest are still confirming the exact amounts they have said that last years figure of £32,000 was smashed! This means that there will be an even bigger, colossal and unbelievable amount of funding raised to share between us and Basic Needs.
We want to say an enormous thank you for the kindness, support and generosity of ValeFest organisers and ticket holders. As an independent and local charity we raise every penny ourselves to provide empathic support to people affected by sexual abuse and violence. We would like to extend our gratitude and love to everyone from ValeFest 2017, you truly are fantastic, you really are!
Women and Sexism in the Rock and Metal Industry
Women and Sexism in the Rock and Metal Industry event is a joint collaboration between the University of Birmingham Rock Society and Women’s Association in light of National Women’s History month. We will be looking at how women are presented in the rock and metal music industry, in terms of female fronted bands or lack of, women behind the scenes and also sexual harassment at gigs.
The event will be a series of short talks and presentations from a number of guest speakers, such as music academics Dr Asya Draganova and Jasmine Shadrack, members of progressive groove metal band Aramantus, current student and writer Rosie Solomon, the Not On Campaign and the organiser and President of the Rock Society, Anna Pitts.
There hasn’t been an event of this kind done before by the Rock Society and as the first female president of the society in a long time I felt responsible to raise awareness of these issues that affect women in the industry. I came up with the idea for this event as I’m very passionate about the topic of women and sexism within the rock and metal genre and I feel that these issues are rarely discussed. Also, I had spoken to a lot of female students who had experienced these issues at gigs and it becomes a norm to just brush off sexual harassment in this environment which is not right.
I’ve chosen to collect donations for RSVP as it is a charity that is directly relevant to helping people who have experienced sexual harassment, assault and rape such as we will be discussing at the event, in the context of music gigs and festivals. Also, the work the charity does is so vital and I thought it was important to raise awareness of the support available and to reduce the stigma around speaking out about the issue of sexual assault which was one of the main reasons for organising the event. Finally, as RSVP is a local charity I wanted the event to give back and help our local community in Birmingham, especially with the recent targeting and sexual assault of female students around the Selly Oak area.
The event will be taking place on Saturday 18th March, 6-8pm in the Rosa Parks room of the Guild of Students at University of Birmingham. Find out more at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1420530174687167/
The internet in the therapeutic space
Below is an extract of a blog from Catherine Knibbs on internet use, social media and devices and the ethical questions that arise from counsellors in the therapeutic space.
There are many approaches and guidelines around how to use equipment you find in the kitchen. Call them directions, user guides or instructions, aka destructions in my household as no one ever reads them. Therein lies the problem…#skimming or #ignoring or #doesntapplytome (I’m using hashtags # to highlight the fact that this can be trend/pattern.
So if there was indeed a user guide for cyberspace would you ignore it? Skim over it? Throw it in the bin or digest every ounce of the contents? Did you know a document such as this actually exists for counsellors and psychotherapists and has done for a while?
That’s the one. Have you read it? What do you think about it, what are your reflections and what rights do you think you have for using your social media accounts as you see fit? What do you think about your clients and their social media usage?
Do you have rights? Do your clients? What might these be? What do you expect from the sites and applications (programs) that you use when it comes to privacy, harassment, location services and your right to express yourself as a human being on the Internet?
Ethical dilemma after ethical dilemma right?
What about the question that can often go unnoticed… What happens about your past or your opinions of today becoming your future? (or future past for that matter)
What effect will this have on you or your clients?
I have deliberately put questions forward in this article to get you thinking. Please feel free to feedback and let’s open this up for debate, I’m sure you will be surprised at both your response and others too. (I should also insert a comment about trolling and respect for each other, however the point is exactly that- – you never know the response that will occur after posting).
Now onto working with clients who bring technology into the room, again what rights do you have a counsellor to insist that the device is turned off or not brought into your room? Why would this be ethical or unethical? Do you know about geolocation and tagging? (go and google these terms if you’re not sure)
Would this have an effect on your practice? Do you have a right to have your device in the room?
What about access to the Internet? What about the content a client may show you that is on their phone? (Think #sexting and #underageconsent). Do you know enough about the internet to know what apps are safe, underage, ethical, secret or indeed coercive?
Read the rest of Catherine’s blog on her website www.cybertrauma.com
Catherine will be discussing these questions and more at the Cybertrauma training on Wednesday 8th March.