IN 2020, Anna Coutts-Trotter asked her counsellor for a referral to a peer support group for survivors of sexual violence, only to find out that they didn’t exist.
“She just said I’d love to and I think you’d really benefit from it and survivors would really benefit from it, but they don’t exist, so if you want to do that you’ll have to start it yourself,” she said.
Ms Coutts-Trotter, along with three other co-founders and with the help of her counsellor, formed The Survivor Hub in 2021, with the intention of supporting, informing and empowering people impacted by sexual violence.
The initiative now has locations across Australia, including Broken Hill, where Ms Coutts-Trotter now lives.
“I came here in August 2023 to do my first social work placement, and then I was offered a job at Maari Ma and decided I really wanted to stay in Broken Hill,” she said.
Along with Klaudia Martin-Files, a survivor herself who works at the Broken Hill Violence, Abuse and Neglect Services (VANS), Ms Coutts-Trotter facilitates monthly meet-ups, which she said usually consist of about six to 10 people.
“They meet up in person, quite literally sit in a circle in a room and talk about whatever they want to talk about,” she said.
“Topics are nominated by survivors before the meet up or during.”
The Survivor Hub also hosts online meet-ups for those living remotely or internationally.
“It’s facilitated by survivors and supported by a professional in the space, whether that be a social work, counsellor or psychologist,” Ms Coutts-Trotter said.
Ms Martin-Files often hosts the Broken Hill sessions, and said the meet-ups have been meaningful and transformative for her personally.
“It’s a privilege to walk alongside other survivors and hear their stories,” she said.
“Creating and maintaining a safe, non-judgemental space where survivors feel empowered to share their stories is so important because it might be the first time a survivor has disclosed their experiences.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand how powerful peer connection can be in reducing isolation, building confidence and fostering a sense of community and belonging.
“These groups provide a space where survivors are not defined by their trauma, but are seen and heard and validated in their experiences.”
Ms Coutts-Trotter said the meet-ups offer a completely different experience to seeking help independently, such as with a counsellor.
“The benefits to peer support groups is that sitting in a space with another survivor, a peer, is just a profoundly emotional experience,” she said.
“And to know you’re sitting in a space with someone who knows what it’s like to be in your position, you don’t need to explain things to why you behaved a particular way, why you said or did something, because survivors just get it.
“Whereas professionals, even the best and most well intentioned, don’t understand it on the same core level that other survivors do.”
Ms Coutts-Trotter said peer support groups can also offer alternative ways of healing and recovery.
“The sort of philosophy of peer support is that we can create a space where people with lots of different lived experiences and understandings and healing and recovery processes can come together to talk about their experience, and other survivors can make decisions that are more informed.”
Anyone over 16 is welcome to attend The Survivor Hub meet-ups, and can do so by registering on the website: https://www.thesurvivorhub.org.au/ .
“It’s a really easy process through the website,” Ms Coutts-Trotter said, “and they’re free, there’s no waiting lines, no referral process, people can just sign themselves up.”
