Sexual Assault Centre for Quinte and District

How to Apply

  • Sexual violence is never your fault
  • No one 'asks for it'
  • There may be many barriers to coming forward for support

A step-by-step guide to applying to the Paths of Courage Residential Healing Program

Talk to someone now.
Toll-free at 1-877-544-6424

If you require immediate help,
please call 911.

Any survivor of sexual violence, 16 years of age or older, residing in the province of Ontario is eligible to apply to the Residential Healing Program at the Paths of Courage Healing and Retreat Centre. The application process is described below.

Step 1: Referral Form

Download the third party referral form and have your support worker fill it out and sign it (i.e., mental health worker, addictions counsellor, sexual assault worker, psychiatrist, doctor, etc.). For your convenience, you can email, fax, or mail it to us.

Mail: Please call 613-476-7000 for mailing information.

Email: [email protected] (Please note: If you do not receive a response within seven days, please call the Paths of Courage office at 613-476-7000)

Fax: (613) 476-7708

Referral Form (PDF DOWNLOAD)

Step 2: Application Form

Fill in the program application online or download and print the program application PDF and mail or fax it to us.

Mail: Please call 613-476-7000 for mailing information.

Email: [email protected] (Please note: If you do not receive a response within seven days, please call the Paths of Courage office at 613-476-7000)

Fax: (613) 476-7708
Program Application Form (PDF DOWNLOAD)

Step 3: Screening Process

The third step is the screening process. After we have received your referral form and your application form, we will contact you to schedule a time for our screening interview.

We recognize that a ‘screening interview’ may sound intimidating. Our goal is for it not to be. It is simply a chance for us to connect with you, learn more about your needs, and share information about the program, to help establish the most cohesive and supportive group dynamic. Screening interviews may be done via telephone or in-person.

Step 4: Getting Here

Once you have received confirmation regarding your specific program date by one of our facilitators, we recommend that you download the documents below. They will help you prepare and find your way to the Paths of Courage Residential Healing Centre. These documents will also be sent to you via email upon program date confirmation.

What To Bring (PDF DOWNLOAD)

Residential-Healing-Program-Application Directions (PDF DOWNLOAD)

How Can I Help?

There are many ways to help through donating, volunteering, or by hosting a fundraising event. Learn more here on how you can help.

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Get Support

Access support here for individual counselling, support groups and our lending library.

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The Paths of Courage

The name 'Paths of Courage' refers to four paths of healing, developed out of the vision for a holistic approach to healing from sexual violence.

Path of Physical Well Being

Path of Physical Well Being

  • During the program week we will offer participants a variety of tools that they can use to experience connection with their physical self.

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    • Exercise — yoga, stretching, hiking, kayaking, snow-shoeing, challenge course, movement therapy.
    • Nutrition — plenty of nourishing food provided.
    • Relaxation — time to de-stress built into each day, plenty of time to rest in a quiet country atmosphere.
    • Connection — through physical activities, drumming, and community.

Path of Emotional Balance

Path of Emotional Balance

  • Our participants will get a chance to recognize, experience and embrace feelings and emotional states as true barometers for life experience. These are:

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    • Group process — using tools of role-playing, somatic body work, projection/reflection and boundaries.
    • Support — from peers, professionals and self.
    • Trust building — through various exercises designed to challenge individuals and build community and trust.

Path of Re-thinking

Path of Re-thinking

  • Often experiences of sexual abuse lend us distorted belief systems that diminish and influence our daily life. Cognitive re-structuring allows participants to look at the thoughts that drive their lives and re-negotiate those beliefs that negatively impact their sense of self.

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    We help to introduce you to:

    • Reframing — a process that ends or diminishes those nagging, negative thoughts.
    • Healthy communication — learning ways to assertively reinforce boundaries and resolve conflict
    • Positive reflection — being able to see self differently as reflected by peers and staff.

Path of Spiritual Connections

Path of Spiritual Connections

  • Through all the other paths of courage, survivors may be able to connect to their own spiritual understandings and their right to wholeness and happiness.

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    We do this through:

    • Connection to nature — outdoor activities, a beautiful tranquil environment.
    • Quiet and solitude — some time each day to journal and reflect
    • Creativity — through art and music making
    • Ceremony and rites of passage — honouring our time together and the sense of connection that a healing community inspires
    • Meditation — guided mediation to turn inward and encourage healing
    • Sacred Healing Fire — Facilitated by a local Indigenous Fire Keeper

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"Sharing my feelings of isolation, shame, fear, and pain with my group was the best thing that has ever happened to me."