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helping each other
The Safe Haven Peer Support Group was founded in 2018 by a therapist with many years of specialization in this field along with three individuals who found success under his treatment. This is our story...
The four founders came together for a presentation at an Ohio conference where they discussed methods and results that led to success in sexual behavior treatment and discussed activities that were found to be less successful. While planning for their presentation, they spent many hours working closely together and talked at length about their own journeys and their successes and failures along they way. They quickly saw the benefit of the open discussions and support they showed to each other throughout this process.
In the Fall of 2017, shortly after their presentation, the group began discussions regarding how to turn their positive personal support experience into a more formal peer support group open to others with similar life experiences.
In February 2018, the Safe Haven Support Group was officially initiatated in Wood County, OHIO with the screening of the movie Untouchable.
At their initial meeting, the group determined that it would focus on support, education, and advocacy and that it would hold monthly peer support group meetings. Over the next year, the attendance at the meetings grew slowly and started attracting individuals from neighboring counties. As a result of the increased membership, in 2019 the group expanded to include monthly meetings in Lucas County.
When COVID arrived in March 2020, the group was holding multiple well-attended in-person peer support groups each month. Although the group attempted to hold virtual meetings during the pandemic, attendance dramatically declined. In-person meetings in Lucas County resumed once the pandemic subsided with attendance gradually increasing. The group has seen a renewed energy in 2024 with gradual membership expansion, new initiatives, and plans to revive meetings in Wood County.
And our story continues...
