General Questions
What is the difference between coaching and therapy? All facilitators are therapists, right?
Psychotherapy can address past trauma using different trauma modalities, can provide assessment for and treat specific mental health diagnoses, and is regulated by the regulatory agencies in the state in which the clinicians are licensed.
Coaching does not assess for or treat specific mental health diagnoses. The coaching you will receive in the Rising Beyond community will be goal oriented, specific to narcissistic abuse/domestic violence and parenting, and will be future focused. While it may be helpful to identify past patterns in relationships, the focus is how to change things in the future rather than processing what has happened in the past. (Please see the Disclaimer)
Coaching does not assess for or treat specific mental health diagnoses. The coaching you will receive in the Rising Beyond community will be goal oriented, specific to narcissistic abuse/domestic violence and parenting, and will be future focused. While it may be helpful to identify past patterns in relationships, the focus is how to change things in the future rather than processing what has happened in the past. (Please see the Disclaimer)
Questions About Joining the Community
What if I am already in therapy? Is it still okay to join?
Yes! The Rising Beyond Community is a great addition to individual therapy no matter which membership level you choose. In individual therapy, you can address past trauma with specific trauma modalities and can obtain assessments specific to mental health. The Rising Beyond Community provides a group atmosphere which accelerates the healing that you are doing with your therapist, as well as getting specific strategies from experts in managing life after a narcissistic relationship. Unfortunately, many therapists do not understand the nuances of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse, especially the legal aspects of these cases. We do understand this and can help you alongside your therapist for the most effective and holistic approach to your situation.
It has been 5+ years since I left my abusive relationship. Is this membership for me?
Yes. The damage that can be done, not only by the abuser themselves, but also by the legal system, can last a long time. The Rising Beyond Community will meet you where you are to provide the support you need.
What if I haven't left the relationship yet? Can I still join the community?
Yes. The Rising Beyond Community is tailored to help women who have already made the decision to leave their relationship or have already left. If you are considering joining and have not yet left your abuser, it is to your benefit to have a trained therapist and/or a relationship with a trained advocate to help you safety plan during the separation process. Since the Rising Beyond Community is an online program, there are risks for you if you are participating from home if you currently live with your abuser. The Rising Beyond team members can absolutely help you plan for your separation and can help with safety planning measures, however we cannot provide in person support that may be needed.
After many negative experiences, feeling like I do not belong anywhere, how do I know that I belong in the Rising Beyond Community?
I am so sorry that you have felt like an outsider in other settings. Unfortunately, this is a common experience for women who have experienced narcissistic abuse and domestic violence. While I cannot promise that you will feel as though you belong here, I do know that, no matter the specifics in your situation, there are similarities between all survivors of relationship abuse. This community honors and believes each member's experience, and the Rising Beyond Team does everything possible to make members feel welcome and safe, as well as provide tailored information to your questions.
My case is so complicated that I have been turned away or misunderstood by mental health professionals. Do you accept members with a complicated situation?
Yes! No matter how complicated your situation, the Rising Beyond Community can help. We often see women turned away from services or given poor advice due to extremely complicated legal situations. While we cannot give legal advice, we provide information based on our decades of combined experience working with women dealing with post separation abuse litigation. We will offer not only non-judgemental support, but also ways to regulate yourself and ways to present yourself in a court situation that can be extremely helpful for your experience.
How is this community different from the free groups at a local advocacy center?
While your local advocacy center will have tons of great resources and potentially a free support group available, the Rising Beyond Community is extremely different. The groups at the advocacy agencies are open groups, meaning that anyone can come to them at any time. This also means that it is more difficult to build relationships with the women attending because there will be a different group of women each session. We create groups where the same women attend each session to foster those strong connections.
It is also a common experience for women attending the free advocacy groups to become retraumatized or to minimize their experiences because each member will share their story at each session and the level of acuity is often extremely different. Also, with the Rising Beyond Community, the facilitators of the small group coaching sessions are all run by masters level or above mental health professionals specializing in domestic violence and separation abuse. The facilitators at the advocacy agencies range greatly in their education and experience.
The Rising Beyond Community also offers interviews with experts and thrivers, virtual trainings, the safe forum, and more.
It is also a common experience for women attending the free advocacy groups to become retraumatized or to minimize their experiences because each member will share their story at each session and the level of acuity is often extremely different. Also, with the Rising Beyond Community, the facilitators of the small group coaching sessions are all run by masters level or above mental health professionals specializing in domestic violence and separation abuse. The facilitators at the advocacy agencies range greatly in their education and experience.
The Rising Beyond Community also offers interviews with experts and thrivers, virtual trainings, the safe forum, and more.
What if I live outside of Colorado?
No problem! Anyone in the world is welcome to join the Rising Beyond Community. The regulations around interstate and international work that restrict a therapeutic relationship to only those in which the therapists are licensed does not apply to this community.
I am trying to decide between joining the Basic Membership and joining the Group Support membership. What are some things I should consider when making this decision?
You will get great value with either membership you choose to join. If you are feeling like you need and want more hands-on, tailored support from the Rising Beyond Team and want to foster closer relationships with other survivors, then the group support membership may be the best option for you. You also have the opportunity to schedule monthly one-on-one coaching sessions with a Rising Beyond Team member as a part of the groups support membership.
Questions About Membership
Can I access the online courses that were sent out to members before I joined?
Yes. You can access the courses in our library that you have missed (provided before you joined) on the Online Courses page.
Who will be facilitating the small group coaching sessions?
All of the group facilitators are Master’s level therapists trained specifically in working with narcissistic abuse and domestic violence. Please see the bios on the website for more information on the team.
What if I miss completing an online mini course?
You will have access to the online courses for the length of your membership and can complete them at any time while still a member.
What if I am unhappy with the membership and want to cancel?
I would hope that you would reach out to us directly at [email protected] should you be unhappy with our program. If you would like to cancel your Basic Membership, we require 7 days notice before your next monthly charge. Our current members of our Group Support Membership have benefited from participating for 6 months to one year. This 6 month time commitment is not mandatory and you have the option to do a month-to-month payment plan where you can end your membership at any time. Or to save money by paying for the 6 months up front, you are guaranteed to have a spot in the group for the full length of time. If your situation has changed and you are a part of the Group Support Membership, please reach out to the email provided above for discussion.
Please contact us with any additional questions or concerns.
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Ready to jumpstart your healing and join a supportive community?
Rising Beyond offers different membership tiers.
Rising Beyond offers different membership tiers.
