A closed group for women
Recovering from sexual assault, together
A small, confidential group where you can be with other women who understand, without having to explain, and without ever having to tell your story.
01 - is this you?
It happened, and your body is still holding it
You may have done a lot of work already. You understand what happened, and you are probably the one others rely on. And still:
You can run a meeting with ease, and still freeze when someone stands too close.
You have told your story more times than you can count, and your body still hasn’t caught up.
You say yes when you mean no, and only realize it afterward.
Closeness / Intimacy can feel like something to get through rather than enjoy.
You second-guess yourself in ways you never used to, and your own voice feels harder to find.
You are tired of being the only one in the room who knows what this feels like.
If you have felt numb, broken, or unsure who you are anymore, if your voice feels quieter than it used to or you have stopped trusting yourself, you are not alone.
Many women arrive feeling exactly this way. What is happening is your body doing what it learned to do to keep you safe, and it can learn something new.
A room where you do not have to explain
02 - What the group is
Every week, a small group of women meets for two hours. We work with the body as well as words, so that what has been held for a long time can begin to soften, at a pace that feels safe. The group itself becomes part of the healing, because being met by other women who understand changes something that is hard to change alone.
WOMEN ONLY, AND SMALL
No more than eight women, so the room stays safe enough to be real in.
YOUR BODY IS PART OF IT
Breath, movement, stillness and noticing, so healing does not depend on talking it through again.
YOU NEVER HAVE TO TELL YOUR STORY
Sharing happens at your pace, or not at all. You can simply be present, and that is enough.
HELD WITH CARE
If something feels like too much, we slow down. You always choose how close you come to anything.
03 - what may change
What you may find here
Everyone's experience is different, and change unfolds at its own pace. These are some of the shifts women often begin to notice.
Feeling safer in your own body, and in a room with other people.
Saying no with more ease, and noticing your yes and no in your body before you speak.
Your voice feeling steadier, and your sense of yourself coming back.
No longer feeling like the only one who knows what this feels like.
Letting yourself be seen and heard, without having to perform.
Less shame, and more compassion for how you survived.
Tools you can use on your own when things feel like too much.
Knowing what you want again, and allowing yourself to want it.
Being less on guard, and coming back to yourself more quickly when something triggers you.
Closeness / Intimacy with self and others that feels safer, at a pace that is yours.
04 - shaped together
A group you help create
When women come together and each one says yes, to herself and to the others in the room, something shifts that is very hard to find on your own. If we can stay curious, even when part of us is afraid, the group slowly becomes a place where real connection feels possible again.
We work with the whole of you, your mind, your body and your spirit, and with what happens between us as well as what happens within you. Every part of you is welcome here, your feelings and your wisdom, what you have come through and what you are still carrying, your grief, your love and your longing.
Some evenings might be a breathwork evening, a coloring evening, or another creative evening that the group chooses and helps lead. Each one is a way of finding yourself again, as the woman you are now, alongside others doing the same.
This matters, because so much of what happened took your choice away. Here, your voice shapes the room.
Working in a group gave me the confidence to step in and take space, feel vulnerable and in your words ‘get messy’, so even when I wasn’t perfect, or the environment around me wasn’t perfect, I could still say and do what I needed. Thank you for not judging me and allowing everything into the space you created for us all.
A.R., NEW YORK
05 - the details
What to expect
Rhythm
Weekly
Two hours, in the evening
A closed group, then we decide together what comes next
three months
Group
length
Eight Women
At most
investment
$85
Per session, paid weekly, monthly or upfront
We meet in person in New York City, most likely on a Wednesday or Thursday evening, and set the exact evening once the group has come together.
06 - how to join
it begins with a conversation
01
A complimentary Call
We talk about what you are hoping for and what support you already have around you. There is no obligation, and it is a chance to get a sense of me.
02
your place is held
If it feels right for us both, I hold a place for you. Once enough women have joined, we set the evening and the start date.
03
your first evening
We begin with group agreements. I bring some, and together we add whatever else the women in the room need. We talk about safety and what each of us needs for it to feel more available, before anything else happens.
07 - Questions
Before you Begin
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It is a closed, in-person somatic process group in New York City for women recovering from sexual assault. It runs for three months, meets weekly for two hours, has no more than eight women, and is $85 per session. It is led by Lauraine Mann, a psychosomatic practitioner, and joining begins with a complimentary call.
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No. You never have to share your story, or any part of it. Many women find that simply being in a room with others who understand changes something, without a word being said about the details.
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Then we slow down. You can step back, stay quiet, or take a moment to yourself at any point. Part of what we do together is learning how to notice when something is too much and what helps you come back.
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I would love for us to meet in person in New York City, most likely on a Wednesday or Thursday evening. We will settle the evening, and whether some women join online, once the group has come together.
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We decide together. Some women re-commit for another three months, and as a group we may choose to welcome new women in. It is shaped by what the group needs.
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Yes. Everything shared in the group stays in the group, and we agree on this together at the very first session.
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Yes. Group and 1:1 work support each other really well, and I am available for both. If you are already working with a therapist, we can talk on your call about what would feel most supportive for you.
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No. My practice is private pay only, so I don’t work with insurance companies and I’m not an in-network or out-of-network provider. Sessions are paid directly to me.