Local counsellor advises how to support survivors of sexual violence
Content Warning: The following story discusses sexual violence.
A social media post featuring grad photos of student Michelle Roy, which call out Mount Allison’s practices around handling sexual assault on campus, has ignited an online and on-campus movement.
Approximately 400 people attended a protest in front of the Wallace McCain Centre on Thursday, November 12 to demonstrate concern for said practices and show support to survivors.
Over 300 stories of on-campus sexual violence have been published on social media, which include experiences of university services and staff mishandling cases of assault or harassment.
CHMA reached out to local support counsellor, Joanna Perkin, to discuss how one can support a survivor of sexual violence and how survivors may care for themselves while the topic is in the spotlight.
Perkin is a woman’s support counsellor for Autumn House in Amherst, and mainly works with women who have experienced intimate partner violence, but also many survivors of sexual assault.
Perkin is not speaking on behalf of or representing Autumn House in this interview.
She advises that untrained individuals have the potential to inadvertently cause harm to survivors of sexual violence, and offers the following expertise:
Joanna Perkin: I think that peer support and support from your friends and your family and your loved ones… that is essential to ensuring that a survivor feels heard and supported, and can kind of start their healing process.… Continue