As the resilience workshops deepened in their intensity and scope, we introduced group therapy sessions, a sanctuary within the sanctuary, where the raw, unvarnished truths of our lives could be shared without fear.
It was a space consecrated to the healing power of vulnerability, where the burdens of the past and the anxieties of the future could be laid bare, shared, and, in the sharing, halved.
The makeshift hall we designated for these sessions was a simple structure, its walls adorned with the vibrant tapestries woven by our own, each a mosaic of colours and patterns as diverse as the stories they surrounded.
The setting was intentionally intimate, a circle of chairs inviting openness, the very layout a reminder that in this space, we were all equals, all seekers of solace.
Dr. Eliza, whose own journey from a clinical psychologist to a survivor and healer had imbued her with an almost tangible empathy, facilitated the sessions.