A SAFE Place

A SAFE Place is a peer-led group support program created by survivors, for survivors. These groups are facilitated by committee members with lived experience, grounded in empathy, and guided by the collective needs of participants. Each session creates a supportive space where survivors can share, reflect, and be heard—without judgment and without pressure.

At SAFE, we believe that healing is not linear, and recovery does not look the same for everyone. A SAFE Place honours that. Together, in circle-style sessions or casual meet-ups, survivors come together to explore what safety, healing, and empowerment can look like, on their own terms.

What to Expect

• Peer-Facilitated: Groups are run by trained committee members with lived experience, not clinicians or service providers. This is a space of mutual understanding and community—not hierarchy.
• Needs-Based Sharing: Every group meeting includes open space for participants to name what they need, from emotional support, to community connection, to help accessing services. We respond to those needs with shared knowledge, practical resources, and compassion.
• Resource Connection: When needs are identified, SAFE will provide links to appropriate services or supports, always with your consent and never with pressure. You choose what feels right for you.
• Flexible Venues: Sessions may happen in a variety of safe and accessible locations across Halton. Some are virtual. Some may take place in women/non-binary-only spaces, and others may be open to all survivors.
• Child-Friendly Options: Some group settings may include child-minding services to support moms and caregivers participating in healing spaces.

Is A SAFE Place for You?

A SAFE Place is for survivors of gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or emotional abuse, who want to connect with others who truly understand. There is no "right" story to have. No proof required. No need to retell anything you’re not ready to share. If you're looking for a space where you're always believed, never pushed, and free to show up just as you are—this is that place.