An Unlikely Bond (www.psychologytoday.com) & Commentary
Tissue Alert! After telling the men sitting in the circle of chairs about my assault, I described its aftermath—the high-pitched anxiety and fear , the flashbacks and nightmares , the strain on my relationships, the bitterness of feeling reduced to a narrow identity : rape survivor. Their faces radiated with unmistakable empathy . The tall man in the baseball cap leaned forward. “What would you say to your rapist if he walked through the door right now?” he asked. I knew exactly what I would...