Resources
IMPACT is committed to making our programs accessible. Some people with disabilities do best in classes where everyone has similar disabilities so that skills and strategies can be more closely matched to people’s ways of moving or taking in information. Other people with disabilities do best in classes for women, LGBTQ people, trauma survivors, or other mixed gender, mixed disability groups.
Most Recent Presentations & Talks
Latest First
Winsor Boundaries Presentation
Presentation for the Winsor School 9/2/2022
Weaving the Knots: AAPI, Asian & Asian-American Women for Empowered Safety
Presentation for the 2022 National Sexual Assault Conference by Adriana Li, Linda Leu & Seri Lee on 8/19/22
Assertiveness and Boundary Setting Workshop for Boston University QAC
Class on 3/25/22
De-escalation Workshop for Nobis Engineering
Class on 2/17/22
Bystander Intervention: Building Skills to Create Safer Communities
Class on 12/8/21
Survivors of Abuse & Trauma
All IMPACT classes are taught with an awareness of the lasting effects of abuse and trauma. Survivors regularly participate in all our women’s, men’s, LGBTQ, and youth classes. Some survivors prefer IMPACT classes that are specifically designed for people who have experienced abuse. Survivor classes have a deeper focus on the ways in which abuse affects people’s experiences of their bodies and their safety.
Hear firsthand from survivors and clinicians.
Hear from 5 people who've worked with us.
“Taking IMPACT classes helped me process my existing trauma, and made me much more self-confident about handling any future problems. I can’t recommend them enough”
“Thank you for providing this incredible experience. I am walking away feeling embodied and empowered. This has been a vital step for me in breaking generational trauma”
“IMPACT is a thoughtful and comprehensive self-defense program that can aid in the complicated process of recovery for trauma survivors. I recommend IMPACT to some of my clients because it is a body-centered approach to healing and empowerment. The instructors are aware of some of the effects of trauma on women and are sensitive to the struggles trauma survivors often have in doing this kind of work. It is important to have a support system in place while going through the IMPACT training, preferably one that includes a trained trauma therapist. This can help the trauma survivor to fully embrace the challenges she will face, and the strength she can gain from IMPACT trainings.”
- Tracey A. McHugh, LICSW
Private Practice and Clinical Supervisor, Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
“IMPACT is both a unique and powerful experience that can help trauma survivors move towards a place of healing. Being able to assert yourself physically and hearing the power within your own voice is a liberating process. IMPACT may be the hardest thing you ever do and the best thing you ever do. It is truly life-changing. I feel so blessed to have taken this training and watch my own inner strength unfold.”
- Erin McCoy, LICSW
Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
“People who have been traumatized in the past often struggle to summon effective responses to threatening situations in the present. They tend to react as if the traumatic event is happening once again, instead of remaining in their most strong and capable adult self. IMPACT provides an invaluable safe space where traumatized people can learn how to move with confidence, assert their boundaries, and protect themselves when necessary. The skilled IMPACT workers shepherd people through their initial trauma-based reactions to strong and capable responses that allow the survivor to feel empowered and grounded in the present.”
- LICSW
Group Therapy Coordinator, Victims of Violence Program, Cambridge Health Alliance
Safe Crisis Support Options
This resource from Inclusive Therapists offers an alternative to calling 911 or 988 during a mental health crisis. It includes a curated list of warmlines and peer support lines staffed by people who understand the communities they serve — including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Trans, Neurodivergent, and Disabled individuals — and that do not dispatch police as part of their response.
Resources listed include Call BlackLine, Trans Lifeline, Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line, Fireside Project, LGBT National Help Center, and StrongHearts Native Helpline.
The page also links to peer support groups, guidance on hotline transparency, and tips for supporting someone through a crisis without involving law enforcement.
Opens the full resource list on InclusiveTherapists.com.