[ot] Stronger-After.org Is a Beautiful Glimpse of Freedom

[Karl Semich]

ABOUT COERCION

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. SERIOUSLY.

Millions are grappling with the long-term effects of coercion
experienced in settings of cultic and extremist groups, intimate
partner violence, gangs, human trafficking, and more.

The criminality and harm of some of these environments are
well-understood, but the methods of psychological control and their
grave impact are not, leaving an essential gap in help and resources
for survivors.


"The survivor [of coercive control...] is burdened by major
impairments in self-care, in cognition, in memory, in identity, and in
the capacity to form stable relationships."
- Judith Hermann

Not only do victims of coercive environments face numerous personal
hurdles to finding help, therapists and social workers rarely know how
to intervene or provide lasting support. Affordable and accessible
help is almost non-existent.

Stronger After is changing that.


MISSION

Stronger After provides free and accessible support to those have been
harmed in coercive groups and relationships. Our goal is to alleviate
suffering and stop the dangerous cycle of coercive control.

By creating online, one-on-one support and classes, we are able to
reach a population that is very often overlooked.

We hope to expose coercive control, offer resources, reduce stigma,
and help individuals lead self-determined lives.


"I had left with my life but not much else. I felt empty and like a
shell of my former self. Because I did not understand coercion, I kept
ending up with abusive people. I had never learned to have healthy
boundaries. I felt alone, helpless with addiction and suicidal
thoughts. I kept thinking I'm all alone in this experience."
— Mark, survivor of an extremist group

Campaign doc:
https://www.stronger-after.org/_files/ugd/edf774_62f68348cc8c48d7a12a6d5d111e3fb0.pdf

[I thought I would have more to put in this third email but wasn’t
quite sure what to place in. I might be seeing an old cache of the
site as the course schedule is six months out of date, leaving the
appearance of nothing upcoming.]