It is vital that victims of abuse have support in their efforts to heal and become survivors. Usually this support comes from those closest to them…their family and caregivers. Unfortunately, the abuse also has an effect on these very support people and often these effects go unacknowledged and unaddressed. In the short-term this doesn’t impact the victim’s needs as family and caregivers are naturally prone to strength and perseverance when faced with the crisis of a loved one. However, in the long-term, if these effects are not addressed, these supportive people will find themselves in crisis as well.

understand how the abuse of your loved one has affected you and explore the idea of atonement and how to break free of our false prisons

share our hearts and experience the mercy of God directly and through each other through team project work, time with counselors and through sacrament and prayer.

engage in sacramental ritual and spiritual ritual to see our way to another level of understanding – a new level of healing – along our journey to peace.

Your Day of Healing creator and leader is Sue Stubbs MS, NCC.  Sue has a Masters in Community Counseling from Georgia State University (1993); she is a Nationally Certified Counselor with over 14 years treating survivors of abuse – sexual, physical, emotional, and spiritual. She is currently Director of the Victim Assistance Program in the Office of Child and Youth Protection for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Your retreat team consists of professional counselors in private practice in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and a priest of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.  The team is experienced working with survivors of abuse and their families as well as grounded in the Truth of the Catholic faith.