Journey to Healing Implementation guide

What’s in this guide? 

This implementation guide is your roadmap to understanding and applying the J2H approach. In it, you will find:

• Core concepts and founding principles: An outline of the core concepts underpinning the J2H approach, along with its foundational values and principles, to ensure each new J2H programme is survivor-centred and survivor-led.
• Programmatic design: A rundown of the key components of an effective J2H approach.
• J2H implementation: Detailed instructions for setting up and structuring peer support groups, facilitating healing sessions, establishing effective referral pathways, and adapting the approach to different community contexts.
• Developing champions: Step by step guidance on training and developing effective survivor champions.
• Scaling up: Advice on ensuring the long-term sustainability and expansion of the J2H global movement. This includes guidance on monitoring, budgeting, training, ongoing support for survivors, and continuing improvement.
• Case studies: Real-life examples of how the J2H approach has been successfully applied in different communities, offering insights and inspiration for new implementations.
• Tools and resources: The Appendices are a practical toolkit of supplementary resources, including templates, tools and forms, quick-reference checklists, exercise and activity outlines, and a sample session plan.

Part 1:

Foundations
Part I sets out J2H's core identity: its key values and guiding principles, the theories it is based on, its vision and transformative Theory of Change.

1.1 The J2H distinctive

J2H is a distinctive approach which is survivor-centred and survivor-led. It guides survivors through distinct phases of healing, within the protective, nurturing environment of a close community.

What makes the J2H approach different?

The Journey to Healing approach has been developed in response to the pervasive and devastating impact of sexual and gender-based violence worldwide. SGBV remains a critical issue, affecting women and girls particularly, and posing significant barriers to their health, safety and wellbeing. Globally, almost one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their life, according to UN Women. 

Traditional responses to SGBV often focus on immediate crisis intervention, but there is a growing recognition of the need for long-term, holistic support that addresses the psychological, social and emotional dimensions of healing. Many survivors experience isolation, shame and a profound loss of trust in others. 

J2H was created to counter these challenges by fostering a sense of community/belonging, connection and shared purpose among survivors, helping them to reclaim their lives and contribute to the healing of others. Crucially, J2H is survivor-centred, survivor-led and sustainable. It makes comprehensive psychosocial support accessible and cost-effective in contexts where individual therapy or other clinical interventions would be prohibitively expensive or simply unavailable for most survivors. Also, its training model creates local leadership in survivor champions, which ensures that transformation goes on long after the initial intervention. 

The J2H approach has been informed and developed by extensive qualitative research and practice in various settings, including conflict and post-conflict environments, where survivors face compounded challenges. It is designed to be adaptable to different cultural and social contexts, ensuring that it is relevant and effective in addressing the unique needs of survivors in diverse communities.