SHARP
(Spiritual Healing and Recovery Program) is a self-directed
spirituality-based treatment program designed to aide sexual trauma
survivors in discovering the role of spirituality in their emotional
healing by recreating balance and harmony in their lives. Spirituality-based treatments are interventions that involve one or more spiritual
or religious practices (e.g., prayer, church attendance, fasting, or
reading doctrine). The assumption underlying this program is that,
spirituality-based practices, when performed regularly will increase the
quality of life for trauma survivors.
Increasing
the quality of life is a “process.” This spiritual recovery model
workbook will assist in the “process” by helping to prepare participants
for the program and help with tracking changes that take place for the
duration of SHARP. SHARP, which is influenced by the 12 steps of
Alcoholics Anonymous and Kubler-Ross’s Stage Theory of grief, has four
components that include daily prayer/meditation, daily journaling,
thirty minutes or more of physical exercise three times per week, and
weekly group attendance (60 or more minutes per week). SHARP can be
practiced for 60 or more days, depending on the need or desire of the
participant.
After
the desired program duration is determined, before beginning SHARP, it
is recommended that the exercises in this book be completed. The
exercises in this book will help the participant assess readiness to
begin SHARP and assist with the planning required for success. The
exercises included are, identifying support systems, self-assessment,
creating safety, identifying program expectations, stress management
exercises, defining spirituality, discussing prayer/meditation, creating
an exercise plan, discussing purpose of journaling, developing support
group plan, optional mental/emotional processing assignments (e.g.,
loss, 12 steps of recovery), optional daily self-affirmations,
journaling page template (to be reproduced).