TERN MODEL FOR GROUP MEETINGS

	Loosely follows 12-step meeting format
	Highly structured
	Clearly articulated norms and boundaries

BASIC MEETING FORMAT

	Chair opens meeting
	Reading of The Welcome
	Review of group norms
	Introductions (possibly with structured go-round, e.g., what is one thing you did to aid your recovery this week?)
	Announcements
	Main speaker (tells story or discusses special topic)
	Responses from group
	Reading of The Closing

ALTERNATE FORMAT

Time is divided evenly among those present, allowing time for responses following each speaker

SUGGESTED DISCUSSION THEMES

	Coping with anger and rage
	Disclosure to family and friends
	Guilt and shame
	Effects on intimate relationships
	Effects on sexuality
	Effects on spirituality
	Revictimization (by attorneys, courts, ethics boards, etc.)
	Dysfunctional coping strategies -- alcohol, drugs, compulsive eating, etc.

TERN GROUP NORMS

TERN is a self-help recovery group, not a psychotherapy group. No one functions as leader, therapist, or facilitator. Instead, we take turns sharing our stories and listening respectfully and nonjudgmentally to others' experiences. To make the group a safe and comfortable environment for sharing and mutual support, we need to be conscientious about adhering to our agreed-upon structure and norms.

Cross-talk (in the forms of asking questions, making comments on others' experience, or giving advice) is often counterproductive because it tends to shift the focus from the person who is (or was) sharing to the one asking the question or giving the advice. Moreover, cross-talk can make the person who was talking (and other group members) feel defensive, thereby impeding rather than promoting the goals of allowing members to receive and offer support.

Each member shares the collective responsibility for following the norms and for noticing and gently reminding the group when the norms are not being followed. We recognize that the group follows a highly structured format, and this may seem constricting to some, especially if you are accustomed to a more interactive group process. We believe that the structure of the meetings provides boundaries and a degree of safety that facilitates the sharing of mutual support. We encourage you to exchange telephone numbers with members who indicate they are available for phone conversations, so that you can speak with other survivors in a less structured manner outside of the formal TERN meetings.

TERN does not recommend or endorse any practitioners. Of course, individual members are free to share information about subsequent treating therapists, attorneys, and other helping professionals with one another, but we prefer that you to do this outside of the group meetings.

For legal reasons, it is generally not a good idea for you to name your perpetrator during the meetings.

These are the norms and standards of behavior agreed upon by the TERN members:

	Arrive on time and stay for the entire meeting
	Speak from own experience
	Share "air-time" (do not dominate or monopolize the group)
	Avoid giving advice
	Do not criticize or judge others
	Avoid cross-talk
	Obtain information and referrals after the meeting or via telephone
	Maintain confidentiality and anonymity at all times

"The Welcome"

WELCOME TO THE TREATMENT EXPLOITATION RECOVERY NETWORK (TERN)

1. We welcome you to the Treatment Exploitation Recovery Network (TERN) and hope that you find here the hope, support, and recovery that we have experienced.
   
   We are a self-help recovery group of women and men, 18 years or older, who meet for one purpose: to ease the suffering of those who have been sexually abused by a therapist or other helping professional. There are no dues or fees. The only requirement for membership is that you are a survivor of sexual exploitation by a helping professional. Everything that is said here, in the group meeting or member to member, must be held in strictest confidence. There is no therapist for this group. Instead we take turns chairing the sessions, which are structured to facilitate sharing our common experiences, our feelings, and our strategies for recovery. To promote a safe and supportive atmosphere, we avoid cross-talk during the meetings, and we neither advise nor judge one another. The group is not intended as a substitute for psychotherapy. We suggest that every member receive the services of a competent and ethical mental health practitioner who has specific expertise and acknowledges this as a sexual abuse issue.
   
2. In TERN, we view sexual exploitation by a helping professional as a form of sexual and psychological abuse involving a betrayal of trust and a misuse of power. When we speak of a "helping professional," we refer to any professional consulted for help with psychological, emotional, physical, spiritual, or other personal problems--such as a mental health practitioner, pastoral counselor or clergymember, physician, nurse, chiropractor, or dentist. We realize that the power imbalance in the professional-client relationship negates the possibility of a mutual or consensual relationship. We understand that the power dynamics in the practitioner-client relationship closely resemble those between a parent and child. Therefore, we view therapist-patient sexual exploitation as psychologically equivalent to incest. We do not perceive sexual contact between a therapist and patient as "an affair," any more than we consider a father's abuse of his daughter an affair.
   
3. We also know that abuse occurs on a continuum, ranging from subtle to more flagrant exploitation. No one's experience will be dismissed as insignificant. No one will be rejected because their experience was too horrible. Whether the abuse remained at the level of verbal behavior or escalated into physical contact, the betrayal of trust and the devastating responses of fear, grief, and anger are essentially the same.
   
4. In TERN we learn not to deny the abuse or the impact it has had on our lives. We come to understand and integrate at a deep level that it was not our fault in any way. The perpetrator will usually go to great lengths to shift the responsibility for the abuse to the victim. Often, the therapist accuses the patient of being seductive or willing to participate. No matter what the circumstances surrounding the exploitation, we realize that sexual behavior between a helping professional and a client is always sexual abuse. Usually, the perpetrator denies the seriousness of his or her unethical behavior and minimizes the severity of its impact on the survivor. In recovery, we learn to acknowledge the negative effects the abuse has had on our lives. We also learn to accept our appropriate outrage at the perpetrator and at any others--such as those we consult in seeking redress--who re-traumatize us.
   
5. In recovery, we acknowledge and mourn all that we have lost as a result of our victimization. We also come to realize that we are strong, creative survivors and that we can heal from the betrayal we have suffered. In dealing with our anger and grief, we experience pain and suffering, and it hurts! But, with the support of members of TERN, we move through and beyond our pain. As we recover and grow, we transcend our victimization, and we experience the strength, acceptance, and integration that are the prizes of the survivor. In TERN, we share our strengths with others, offering a safe place to turn for comfort, hope and recovery.

1. As we close this meeting, we must remember that no one here can tell us what we should do. Every person's recovery is unique, and we must each decide our own course of action. Let there be no judgement or criticism of one another. Take what you need, and leave the rest.
   
   We come together for support, so it is important that we share our experiences here. But let us always remember that what is said in this room must stay in this room. Confidentiality is the core of this recovery group. In our past attempts to receive help, we have been violated and betrayed. We must never--through design or accident--contribute to each other's further violation. We must also respect each other's needs for anonymity. If we meet at work or in a grocery store, we must not jeorpardize anyone's anonymity by acknowledging each other as a TERN member.
   
   
2. Often survivors of abuse by professionals feel alone and alienated. We want you to know that regardless of the specific circumstances surrounding your abuse, we have much in common with you. Most of us suffer the same feelings and consequences as other abused survivors.
   
   We would like to remind those of you who have recently joined us that you are each a creative and courageous person. The very fact that you have come to the meeting tonight is a testament to the strength of your spirit. As you continued to recover and grow, you will feel stronger and more whole. You will recognize yourself as a survivor.
   
   
3. We are sorry for the suffering that has brought you here to us. Since we too have been betrayed and exploited, we have empathy and compassion for your pain. But we also know your strength, maybe even that strength that you do not yet recognize in yourself. We support you in your recovery, recognizing your participation in tonight's meeting as an expression of your taking responsibility for your own healing. We acknowledge that you are becoming a survivor, no longer a victim. We want you to know that you are not alone. And we pledge to do everything in our power to make this always a safe place to turn.