A single mom of 2 teenagers, Alexis was on her healing journey from a divorce. It was a difficult journey, which included a move from Cape Town to Johannesburg, and a new job. All the newness was exciting & provided the needed change she was looking for. And then she met him; the relationship was a whirlwind & within a year the relationship became violent.

Alexis represented the person, “this would never happen to,” yet it did. She was doing well in her career, had multiple university qualifications & for all intents & purposes was “in the know”. Yet, she would continue to describe her situation with complete bewilderment; not knowing or understanding what was happening, and not able to move on. Her mind was literally going in circles; she was unsure of the things she said, felt, or thought. She was living in a constant state of fright, flight, and anxiety.

Only later would she discover that these were all symptoms of someone who was being gaslit over time. Numerous times he promised it would be different; and she would go back, only to experience the abuse just as before. This cycle continued to repeat, and only much later would she learn what trauma bonding was.

After her miscarriage, her Line Manager noticed her decline. This Intervention resulted in Alexis been admitted into facility for 6 weeks. It was here where she was introduced to so many ways to heal. She states: “for 6 weeks I had access to psychiatrists, psychologists, physiotherapy, and was connected with other women who experienced what I had.” Empowered with this new language and an understanding of the cycles of abuse, she gained a deepened view on what had happened to her. In this way she felt she could see the red flags, and the impact of her past revealed the importance of self-healing that she needed in order to shift her life.

This started her journey of action: a journey of deep self-exploration & healing. Alexis, however, had access to a series of services via her medical aid & the wellness services available- she knew she was more privileged than the vast majority. But what about the rest of the humans who did not have a medical aid, or access to a facility, or a caring person who identified her struggles at work? What about those who don’t even have a job? Alexis wanted to create a way of providing access to them and those impacted around them. This led to the next phase of Alexis’ healing.

Her healing was triggered via a group of women who selflessly shared their stories, in doing so they created a space for Alexis see herself differently. She thought “what if we could create & simulate this same kind of healing for others impacted by GBV?”