Welcome to Survivors of Incest Anonymous

We are sorry for your experience, but are glad you made it here.
 

SIA is a fellowship of women and men 18 years and older, who know, suspect or wish to further explore that they are survivors of childhood sexual abuse.  Only you can determine whether your experience qualifies to belong in an SIA meeting.  You will not be rejected because you think your abuse was "too horrible," and you will not be discounted because you think your abuse wasn't "bad enough to count."  No one in SIA can tell you whether or not you belong. The only requirement for membership is that you are a victim of child sexual abuse.  However, the SIA fellowship has decided that current perpetrators of child abuse are not allowed in any SIA meeting, and many meetings are also closed to therapists, partners, friends and family of Survivors who are not there for their own incest recovery.  Please respect our need to recover safely.

SIA is a 12-step, self-help recovery program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous. There are no dues or fees.  Confidentiality is essential to our program.  We define incest very broadly as the overt and/or covert  use of a child to fulfill the sexual and/or emotional intimacy needs of a family member or extended family member that damaged the child. "Extended family" may include an aunt, uncle, in-law, step-parent, cousin, friend of the family, teacher, coach, another child, clergy,  or anyone that we may have been led to trust. Sexual contacts may include a variety of verbal and/or physical behaviors; penetration is not necessary for the experience to count as incest.

SIA is not a replacement for therapy or any other professional service when needed. We do not have any professional therapist working in our groups. Members are encouraged to get professional help when needed.  SIA and SIA members do not give advice or criticize each other. We are here for mutual support.

Our best wishes to you in your recovery. Recovery can be difficult , but now we learn that we are not to blame and we are not alone.  And if any one of us can recover, then so can all of us.

Please be gentle with the child within.