Support Healing: TM for Violence Survivors

We are raising funds to begin a program in the DC and Virginia area to teach TM to survivors of domestic or gender based violence or sexual assault.

Since 2013 we have offered a program in NYC in partnership with the David Lynch Foundation’s Women’s Health Initiative. This initiative taught TM to 1200 domestic or gender based violence or sexual assault survivors and 200 staff, at all five Family Justice Centers in the five boroughs of NYC.

Anonymous, voluntary short pre- and post surveys were taken by the participants that learned TM. The results show average reductions of: 33% in anxiety, 39% in anger, 40% in depression, 30% in stress, and increases of 18% in self-esteem, and 65% in sleep quality.

The former director of this program, Sarah Sica, says, "The tool of TM is a profound gift that provides easy access to that safe space within all of us, anytime we meditate. We can't always control the circumstances that we are in or what has happened to us, but we can utilize this technique of TM to become more resilient to the stress in our lives. Here is an experience that one of my students shared with me a month after I taught them TM: "

“I’ve endured repeated traumas and was treated for PTSD, which wasn’t very effective. However, I found TM changed my life from the very first session. I used to be wracked with anxiety daily, and be re-traumatised by multiple triggers, but now I no longer have adrenaline surges. I feel at ease with things in a way that I never thought possible. I’m not into woo-woo or religion and I was pretty skeptical about TM at first, even though I read all about its empirical scientific efficacy. Having felt the positive change to my life, I can’t recommend it highly enough, and I’m so grateful that DLF gave me this amazing gift. I feel like my life isn’t now destined to be a quagmire of depression and survival - it’s destined to be largely peaceful and enjoyable.”