The Aurora Approach

The Aurora Approach involves four main areas:

• What therapies there are
• Who delivers the therapies
• Where therapies are delivered
• How therapies are delivered

What services there are

Aurora services consist of a range of interventions to meet the needs of survivors. These include talking therapies to help with the psychological and emotional consequences of trauma, and bodywork therapies to help with physical issues.

Who delivers the therapies

Getting the right people to provide therapies is an essential part of the Aurora Approach and all staff are recruited for their empathy, compassion, experience, skills, dedication and commitment. To ensure that the right people are recruited, Aurora clients are involved in the selection of new staff.

Where therapies are delivered

The environment is seen as a crucial aspect of the Aurora service and all therapies are delivered in a safe, secure and peaceful therapeutic setting.

How therapies are delivered

Services are delivered with a client-focus, where clients play an active part in their therapy encouraging mutual respect and individual responsibility. There is also an element of flexibility to service delivery to ensure that clients get the kind of help and support they need when they need it.

All the areas described above combine to provide a therapeutic community style of caring that we feel helps healing for survivors of abuse. The type and range of therapies available, the staff, the environment and the way services are delivered are all seen as essential for helping clients on their individual healing journey.

The way in which the Aurora Approach helps clients is best explained by the “5Cs” of self Containment, Compassion, Crisis resolution, reCovery and Coping skills.

1. self Containment

Therapeutic boundaries alongside secure, peaceful and confidential surroundings help clients to feel safe and able to “be themselves” without fear of judgement or criticism.

2. Compassion

Survivors of abuse respond more positively to staff and therapists who are compassionate, caring, empathic and respectful.

3. Crisis resolution

First appointments are made as soon as possible after initial contact so therapy can start without long delays. In addition, to help during particularly difficult times there is flexibility to counselling sessions (i.e. duration, frequency) and telephone support in between sessions.

4. reCovery

Aurora’s main aim is to aid recovery for survivors and both talking and bodywork therapies provide the variety and scope to help this recovery for each clients. We also have social events that help to lessen the isolation experienced by many survivors.

5. Coping skills

Coping strategies are essential for survivors to deal effectively with current and future crises, and for them to resolve problems and manage conflict. One-to-one sessions and group work help clients to learn these skills.

An evaluation survey of Aurora’s services carried out in 2009 indicates that clients benefit from the Aurora Approach. More than 70% of those surveyed reported improvements in well being, self-esteem and coping ability; and more than 50% reported an increase in confidence. The majority of clients were also very satisfied with the services and facilities available at Aurora with a high percentage giving rating of very good or excellent to:

• Practitioners (100% clients)
• Atmosphere (100% clients)
• Therapies (96% clients)
• Environment (73% clients)

In addition, 100% of clients said they would recommend Aurora to other people; 96% of clients would return if they needed to and all clients rated excellent or very good when asked about their overall experience of Aurora.

Clients were also asked to comment on what they found helpful about Aurora and the following selection captures the essence of the Aurora Approach:

It helped me to learn a lot about myself and opened me up to new possibilities and avenues of healing. It was a very supportive and safe environment to be in. I felt that a lot of effort went into supporting me with my growth and healing there.

Aurora is a very personable, friendly and deeply caring organisation that have created a safe and comfortable environment, which allows me to reflect upon some of my deeper issues.

Aurora has always been very encouraging of my journeyand has also become a place of sanctuary where my needs have always been respected and never judged and I am allowed to be as I am. Aurora has also allowed me to be autonomous about my healing journey. I have found it extremely helpful and supportive allowing me to be autonomous in trying out new behaviour, and therapies. Sometimes I feel like I have found a very true and healthy functional family where I feel included and accepted for who I am even when I am not at my best.