Healing Private Wounds

Mission: To be an inclusive, caring community dedicated to providing emotional healing and hope for hurting individuals of all ages, by offering a confidential and compassionate atmosphere with free services in professional counseling, resources, advocacy, education, peer-driven mentorship, and support.

Healing Private Wounds sprung from an overwhelming response to Shirley Jo Petersen’s book, “The Whisper.” A story of one woman’s journey from being a victim of sexual abuse to becoming a “thriving survivor.”

At a book signing in 2006, Shirley met another survivor, Amy Fite, and a deep, lasting friendship began. Each had the desire to begin a recovery group to help other victims of sexual abuse heal. Three months later “Grow Group” put its roots down and we welcomed our first ten members.

In January 2010, Healing Private Wounds became a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and has since developed many programs dedicated to a variety of groups and life experiences, covering healing, education, support groups and more.

Healing Private Wounds is a caring community that supports emotional healing and hope for individuals of all ages by providing resources, education, advocacy, professional services and peer-driven mentoring.

We offer compassion, hope and healing to all who have suffered past child sexual abuse and any type of traumas they may be struggling to overcome. We do this through counseling, group support, jail ministry and educational presentations. We also offer prevention services through our school presentations and Parents As Teachers home-visiting program called Healing Roots.