somatic support circle for survivors | february.
When sexual violence becomes a public spectacle—especially through carceral narratives that center powerful abusers and offer no clear pathways for accountability—it too often retraumatizes survivors while protecting the deeper structures that enable harm.
At The Center is offering a Somatic Support Circle as a space to gather in grounding practices and collective care for survivors impacted by the current conversations. This space is free of cost for all survivors of sexual or power based violence. We will be accepting donations from anyone who wants to support this work, but it is absolutely not expected or required to attend.
Offered virtually on Zoom (no recording)
Monday February 16, 2026 from 6:30-8 pm EST
• Community grounding & connection
• Guided somatic practices
• Consent-based sharing circle
• Individual reflection & journaling
• Care planning for ongoing impacts
Potential Questions for Exploration:
What wisdom are our bodies offering us about what we need right now?
What practices do we need to be in to sustain ourselves during this time?
What practices are we already in?
What community support and/or accountability systems do we need to be in those practices?
What else might our bodies be asking for?
To keep this space grounded and held, capacity is limited. If your plans shift, we appreciate you letting us know so another survivor can join.
This form is confidential & intended to help us with communication and hear about any needs or requests you may have. Any communications will simply say "Somatic Circle". You do not need to explain yourself or your experiences, now or ever.
If you have any questions/concerns/access needs please reach out to info@atthe.center
* Clear Community Agreements incorporating the requests and responses we receive will be sent out ahead of session and reviewed together when we gather. *
- A space to slow down, be in process with community and witnessed in how you are experiencing this moment
- Grounding and nervous system tending practices
- A space to gain clarity on our needs, as well as strategize individually and collectively about how to best take care of ourselves in this moment and as we move forward
- Survivor-led and healing-centered
- Politically contextualized (we name systems of harm, how they shape our experiences and how they shape us) & grounded in abolitionist practice. Survivors are not broken and the way our bodies respond to ongoing trauma is not the problem; systems of oppression and rape culture are the problem.
- Centered on presence, not performance or trauma disclosure. You are welcome to share or not share, and take care of yourself however you need to.
- Not therapy or clinical treatment, not crisis response, not a space for "fixing" or pathologizing.
- While we honor storytelling, this specific circle is focused on how this moment is landing in our bodies rather than recounting past trauma stories. This helps keep the space accessible and grounded for everyone.
More information about At The Center & Somatic Support Circles:
- Our work centers values of
healing justice and abolition. We do not believe state violence can solve interpersonal violence, and we honor that all survivors have their own understanding of "justice", healing and safety. You do not need to have experience with any of these frameworks to join, but transparency about how we hold the space is important to us.
- All survivors are welcome here – including and especially those who are also sex workers, have experienced criminalization or have more complex stories that may not be held with care in other healing or gender based violence spaces. We center the voices and needs of marginalized community members. We do not believe in "perfect victims" and actively seek to disrupt norms around this false narrative.
- Somatic Support Circles are facilitated by Samara (she/they), a somatic practitioner, community herbalist, artist, abolitionist and healing-centered consultant who has been doing embodied healing work and organizing with survivors of gender based violence, sex workers and incarcerated folks for over a decade. Samara is a queer, SWANA, disabled, criminalized survivor of child sex trafficking, domestic violence and the foster care system. You can read more about her
here.- This is a non-clinical peer support space. If you are currently needing crisis level care, please email us at info@atthe.center for resources. We hold this boundary not out of judgement, but as a recognition of our capacity & to keep the group safe.
Do you identify as a criminalized survivor and/or sex worker?
We ask because this is the core community that At The Center serves and we have additional resources available for you.
Would you like to receive email updates about At The Center's survivor-led offerings in the future?
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How did you hear about this offering?
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The following questions are completely optional, please only share what feels comfortable for you and will support you in experiencing this space safely. Our intention is to make space for you to share any needs or requests you have.
Is there anything you want to share with the facilitator about your identity or experiences?
Do you have any requests or needs for the Community Agreements?
As this gathering is open beyond ATC's core members, we will establish a clear set of Agreements ahead of and during the session. We do our best to integrate any requests that align with our values into that process.
Do you have any access needs that will support your engagement?
We ask that if you are able, everyone comes on camera at some point during intros so we can establish a sense of safety as a group. Throughout the gathering, you are welcome to be on or off camera however supports you best.
Anything else you want to share?
Participant commitments:
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