Durham Services
Family Services of Durham Region
905-666-6239 (centralized intake line)
1-888-721-0622 x 5
Catholic Family Services of Durham
905-725-3513
1-877-282-8932
cfsdurham.com
Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre of Durham
905-427-7849
1-888-454-4035
wmrccdurham.org
Victim Services Durham Region
905-721-4226
1-888-579-1520 x 3400
victimservicesdurham.ca
Durham Regional Police Services
905-579-1520
1-888-579-1520
drps.ca
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Care Centre at Lakeridge Health
905-576-8711 x 33286
lakeridgehealth.on.ca
Durham Family Court Clinic
905-436-6754
Community Justice Alternatives of Durham
905-683-8615
Books
General Information
Our Little Secret: Confronting Child Sexual Abuse in Canada
By Judy Steed
A powerful and moving book exposing one of Canada’s most traumatic crimes – child sexual abuse.
Books on Trauma
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts
By Resmaa Menakem
The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze, and it endures the trauma inflicted by the ills that plague society. In this groundbreaking work, therapist Resmaa Menakem examines the damage caused by racism in America from the perspective of body-centered psychology.
Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep at a Time
By Laura Khoudari
A celebrated strength trainer and trauma practitioner offers a fresh and empowering approach to healing and thriving after trauma.
Dissociation Made Simple: A Stigma-Free Guide to Embracing Your Dissociative Mind and Navigating Daily Life
By Jamie Marich
A comprehensive guide for understanding dissociative disorders, breaking the stigma, and healing from trauma-related dissociation.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents
By Lindsay C. Gibson
In this breakthrough book, clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson exposes the destructive nature of parents who are emotionally immature or unavailable.
Life After Emotionally Immature Parents: Recovering from Unhealthy Childhood Attachments, Breaking the Harmful Cycle & Reclaiming Your Life With 8 Techniques to Form Secure Attachments
By Vanessa A.P.
The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole
By Arielle Schwartz
In The Complex PTSD Workbook, you’ll learn all about C-PTSD and gain valuable insight into the types of symptoms associated with unresolved childhood trauma. Take healing into your own hands while applying strategies to help integrate positive beliefs and behaviors.
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
By Jon Kabat-Zinn
In this book, the author maps out a simple path for cultivating mindfulness in one’s own life. It speaks both to those coming to meditation for the first time and to longtime practitioners, anyone who cares deeply about reclaiming the richness of their moments.
For Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Beginning to Heal (Revised Edition): A First Book for Men and Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children
By Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
This book may be helpful for you if you are new to the healing process. You may find this book a good introduction to the healing process.
The Courage To Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
By Ellen Bass, Laura Davis
“The Courage to Heal” can be a comprehensive guide for both survivors and their support networks. This can be quite an intense read for survivors, so please take your time and nurture yourself.
The Right to Innocence: Healing the Trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse – A Therapeutic 7-Step Self-Help Program for Men and Women, Including How to Choose a Therapist and Find a Support Group
By Beverly Engel
As a trained therapist and sufferer of sexual abuse herself, Beverly Engel knows that there is probably no trauma a child can suffer that makes them feel more alone than sexual abuse. This helpful book offers hope for recovery with exercises, visualizations, and techniques that support you through a seven-step program, which will aid you in facing the truth, releasing your anger, confronting those responsible with facts and feelings, forgiving yourself, and more healing advice and information.
I Never Told Anyone: Writings by Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
By Ellen Bass, Louise Thornton
It is a deeply moving collection of first-person narratives of survivors of childhood sexual assault, not recommended to those who are new to the healing process.
It Happened to Me: A Teen’s Guide to Overcoming Sexual Abuse
By William Lee Carter
This is a workbook written specifically for teens and those who support them.
How Long Does It Hurt: A Guide to Recovering from Incest and Sexual Abuse for Teenagers, Their Friends, and Their Families
By Cynthia L. Mather
Illustrated by Judy Wood
As told by Kristina E. Debye
This is a bestselling book written by a survivor for other survivors, specifically teens, to help overcome and work through feelings such as confusion, self-doubt, and isolation.
In Their Own Words: A Sexual Abuse Workbook for Teenage Girls
By Lulie Munson and Karen Riskin
The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls: A Guide to Recovery from Sexual Assault and Abuse
By Raychelle Cassada Lohmann and Sheela Raja
An empowering workbook for working through trauma.
Sexuality and Intimacy
The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse (3rd Edition)
By Wendy Maltz
This book provides a guide with various materials and resources to help one on their healing journey and to reclaim sex as safe, loving, and enjoyable.
Survivor’s Guide to Sex: How to Create Your Own Empowered Sexuality After Childhood Sexual Abuse
By Staci Haines
This book focuses on healthy sexuality and intimacy after sexual abuse.
For Family, Friends and Partners
Ghosts in the Bedroom: A Guide for Partners of Incest Survivors
By Ken Graber
This book provides guidance and comfort for partners of survivors of sexual assault/abuse.
Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child, a Support Book
By Laura Davis
An in-depth resource for those who support a survivor of sexual abuse.
Families in Recovery: Healing the Damage of Childhood Sexual Abuse
By Beverly Engel
A guide for siblings and parents of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, on how to provide support in a mutual way.
Additional Resources and Supports
Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC)
Includes general information on sexual violence, as well links to sexual assault centres across Ontario.
Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
The largest U.S.-based anti-sexual violence organization.
Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes (AOcVF)
Ontario Women’s Justice Network (OWJN)
Legal information on issues related to violence against women.
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
Learn about what the Ministry does to promote women’s economic independence and fight against gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse:
Learn about human trafficking, find out where to go for help, and get services or support:
ontario.ca/page/human-trafficking
Learn about the resources available to you if you or someone you know is experiencing violence:
ontario.ca/page/get-help-if-you-are-experiencing-violence
Learn about programs that can help low-income women and women experiencing violence and abuse gain new skills, new careers and new opportunities:
Ministry of the Attorney General – Independent legal advice for sexual assault victims
If you are a victim of sexual assault living in Ontario and would like to speak to a lawyer, you may be eligible for up to four hours of free legal advice by phone or video conversation (for example, Skype or Zoom). This service does not include legal representation in court.
ontario.ca/page/independent-legal-advice-sexual-assault-victims
The Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC)
METRAC is a not-for-profit, community-based organization that works to prevent and end violence against diverse women, youth, and children.
Sheltersafe
Sheltersafe is an online resource for women and their children seeking safety from violence and abuse.
Centre for Research & Education on Violence Women and Children
The Centre promotes the development of community-centred, action research on violence against women and children. The Centre’s role is to facilitate the cooperation of individuals, groups, and institutions representing the diversity of the community to pursue research questions and training opportunities to understand and prevent abuse.
Chrysalis Anti-Human Trafficking Network
The Chrysalis Network is a 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly, non-abolitionist, humanitarian organization dedicated to supporting ALL workers involved in the adult industry by engaging in advocacy work supporting survivors’ recovery from psychological trauma.
PAR-L – A Canadian Electronic Feminist Network
PAR-L is a Canadian electronic feminist network.
DisAbled Women’s Network Ontario (DAWN)
DAWN is a feminist organization whose mission is to generate information, knowledge, and skills to advance the inclusion and equality rights of women and girls with disabilities.
CLEO – Community Legal Education Ontario
CLEO provides clear, accurate, and practical legal rights, education, and info to help people understand and exercise their legal rights
Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA)
Ontario Women’s Health Network (OWHN)
ACAS – Asian Community AIDS Services
Ontario Coalition of Agencies Serving Immigrants
Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto
416-963-9963
nwrct.ca
SOS Femmes
Kujenga Wellness Project
Kujenga seeks to build strong families, promoting healing, cultivating community connections, and engaging in holistic teaching.
Violence Link Consulting
Violence Link training, facilitated by retired Ottawa Police Sergeant Teena Stoddart, provides instruction on crimes from partner assault to terrorism. Violence Link is the link between human abuse and animal abuse.
Partner Assault Response Program
The goal of this program is to enhance victim safety and increase client accountability.
Jennifer Holt, M.Ed (Counselling), C.C.C., Registered Psychotherapist
Services are covered if counselling is mandated by the courts.
519-319-9491
Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund (LEAF)
LEAF focuses on litigation, law reform, and public education. In particular, they seek to advance gender equality by challenging laws, policies, and practices that discriminate against equality guarantees enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, most notably sections 15 and 28.
Family Responsibility Office (FRO)
The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) is a statutory program mandated under the Family Responsibility and Support Arrears Enforcement Act, 1996. FRO helps families in Ontario get the support payments they are entitled to by enforcing support orders. We work to send payments from the person who pays the support to the person who receives it.
justice.gc.ca/eng/fl-df/fjs-sjf/view-affic.aspx?SearchID=358
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
Free online mental health courses: cmha.ca/find-info/mental-health/online-mental-health-courses/
Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW)
The Learning Network:
Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children (CREVAWC)
The Learning Network is a knowledge mobilization initiative that bridges the gap between current gender-based violence (GBV) research, practice-based knowledge, and lived experience to enhance the capacity of the GBV sector and movement (e.g., legal help, shelter support, advocacy, education, sexual assault counselling). This knowledge is essential to preventing violence across diverse communities, supporting survivors and allies, and promoting gender equity.
Through community partnership and relationship building, we mobilize diverse ways of knowing to offer foundational and advanced GBV knowledge. This includes commonly used language, emerging issues, recent research, educational tools, trauma-informed approaches, and best practices.
training.learningtoendabuse.ca
Floria Clinic
Experts in virtual gender-affirming care. Specialized, virtual care for 2 Spirit, trans and non-binary people from the comfort of your home.
Legal Aid Ontario
The Two Hours of Free Legal Advice is intended for for domestic violence survivors in Ontario who need immediate advice and assistance in relation to family law and immigration and refugee law matters. There is no financial eligibility requirement. People who are experiencing domestic violence are eligible for up to five two‑hour authorizations in a year (one per legal issue).
Please call your local shelter or community legal clinic to ascertain if this service is available, as not all community legal clinics offer it. If the service is provided, the clinic or shelter will then give you a referral voucher so that you can get two hours of free legal advice from a lawyer. Only lawyers with experience in domestic abuse issues can provide this service.
Toll-free: 1-800-668-8258
legalaid.on.ca/services/domestic-abuse/
For Men Survivors
The Support Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Program provides help for men survivors of sexual abuse, both recent and historical. The program is the first of its kind in Canada and is delivered by agencies across the province. Read more by visiting: ontario.ca/page/get-help-if-you-are-experiencing-violence
Family Service Toronto
FST provides counselling services to men survivors of sexual abuse. Read more by visiting: familyservicetoronto.org/our-services/programs-and-services/male-survivors-of-sexual-abuse/
To be eligible for service, a male survivor must:
- Be 16 years of age or older at the time of service
- Be a resident of Ontario, and
- Have experienced historical sexual abuse or be a victim of a recent sexual assault, including any incident of sexual activity without your consent
The family of a male survivor may also be eligible for service. Contact FST’s Service Access Unit at 416-595-9618 to discuss your situation.
Healthy Masculinities Backgrounder
This Backgrounder explores patriarchal and healthy masculinities, the impacts of patriarchal masculinities on GBV, and the role of youth in promoting healthy masculinities. It also spotlights White Ribbon’s intensive and gender-transformative curriculum on healthy masculinities and discusses its impacts on youth and the broader community. Lastly, it offers a call to action for boys and male-identifying youth to join efforts to prevent GBV. This Backgrounder was co-created by White Ribbon Canada and the GBV Learning Network at the Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children.
Healthy-Masculinities-Backgrounder
Books
Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse
By Mike Lew
A resource manual for male survivors and those who wish to support them.
Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse
By Mic Hunter
A psychologist examines the physical and emotional impact of abuse on its victims and the factors affecting recovery. This study explains the ways in which boys are molested and the reasons why men remain silent about it later in life. A well-researched and well-written book.