Healing Together – The Impact of the Stepping Stones Program
- Apr 24
- 4 min read
The Stepping Stones program, delivered over ten sessions across eight weeks from 4 February to 28–29 March 2025, provided a trauma-informed, peer-supported space for domestic violence victim-survivors to rebuild confidence, foster emotional safety, and strengthen their post-crisis recovery journey. In this transformative series each session focused on a specific recovery theme, blending creative expression, psychoeducation, and reflective practices to foster growth and healing.
Measurable Impact: Quantitative Outcomes
Capturing the impact of post-crisis recovery programs like Stepping Stones can be challenging, especially when funding does not extend to evaluation specialists. Despite this, Broken to Brilliant is committed to collecting meaningful participant feedback to both inform ongoing program development and align with the key performance indicators (KPIs) set out in the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032.
Through consistent feedback gathered across the ten sessions, we tracked outcomes that reflect progress in post-crisis recovery and emotional healing. The following key performance indicators were linked to priority indicators of success outlined for recovery areas in the National Plan, particularly around safety, wellbeing, and recovery
Emotional Safety: 100% of participants reported feeling safe in 8 out of 10 sessions. In the remaining two sessions, one participant (20%) reported being triggered.
Support: 100% of participants felt supported in 9 out of 10 sessions. In one session, one participant (20%) experienced dissociation.
Health and Wellbeing: 100% of participants reported a positive impact on their health and wellbeing in 8 out of 10 sessions. In two sessions, one participant (20%) experienced triggering or dissociation.
Learning Outcomes by Session:
Session 1: Journaling – 87% gained confidence in journaling as a healing tool.
Session 2: Positive Qualities – 71% felt more confident identifying their strengths.
Session 3: Boundaries, Beliefs, and Values – 100% found the content very effective.
Session 4: Poetry for Healing – 60% felt more confident using poetry for self-expression.
Session 5: Trauma-Informed Parenting – 80% felt more confident in parenting their children.
Session 6: Grief and Loss – 100% found this session extremely helpful in understanding secondary grief.
Session 7: Self-Esteem – 100% found the information effective and relevant to their recovery.
Session 8: Effective Communication – 75% reported increased communication confidence.
Sessions 9 & 10: Empowerment Archetypes and the Tree of Life – 100% said these activities helped them connect to their personal growth and resilience.
These outcomes, while acknowledging the complexity of trauma recovery, highlight the program’s strong alignment with national recovery goals. These results also demonstrate meaningful increases in self-confidence, self-awareness, emotional safety, and recovery capacity among participants and reinforce the importance of trauma-informed, survivor-led initiatives in fostering long-term healing and resilience.
Voices of Transformation: Participant Reflections
The Stepping Stones program is more than a series of sessions — it’s a shared experience of growth, strength, and sisterhood. Here’s what participants had to say:
Healing and Hope
“This program is medicine — a group of survivors coming together to bring each other up.”
“I felt so held, supported, loved, and encouraged — empowered. I am so glad I came.”
Empowerment and Self-Worth
“Stepping Stones gave me the strength to heal on my journey of growth and recovery — it helps me and my children.”
“I felt encouraged, empowered, hopeful. I can envisage a brighter future.”
Validation and Understanding
“The Tree of Life project is brilliant in breaking down the negative impacts and brings insights to our true selves.”
“Be conscious of how I validate… I now understand what invalidation is, and I’ve stopped doing it.”
Creative Expression
“Poetry, song writing, journaling — each gave me a voice again.”
“Sanctuary to lay down my pain, part of my newness… write music, sing — incredible.”
Grief and Growth
“Grief from trauma is not the same as loss or death — now I see my grief, and it has a name.”
“The grief squiggle was so visually powerful and helped me accept my process.”
Community and Connection
“This space was so comforting and peaceful. Each of us holding space for each other.”
“These women have penetrated my root system. This is deeply sisterhood.”
Survivors Step Up to the Mic
Participants in the Stepping Stones program bravely took their healing journeys one step further—onto the airwaves. During their overnight retreat, they gathered around Broken to Brilliant’s Rode podcast machine and recorded reflections for The Voice of Survivors podcast series. These powerful episodes offer raw, inspiring, and authentic insights into their transformation.
Recorded in the lounge of a Brisbane apartment with the rain tapping gently against the windows and the city skyline in the background, two incredible survivors sit down on the final day of the retreat to share what it truly means to heal. After nine sessions of creative exploration, they reflect on how art, poetry, and deep connection helped them uncover parts of themselves once buried under trauma. "Healing isn’t linear—but in community, it becomes empowering.”
In this deeply moving conversation, Jane shares her journey from fear and triggers on day one to discovering confidence, clarity, and hope. Through trauma-informed facilitation and survivor-to-survivor support, Jane learned to self-regulate, reclaim her self-worth, and feel safe again. "This program has been a lifeline.”
Scheduled Soon
This heartfelt episode explores the grief of losing oneself after domestic violence and how survivors reclaimed their identities through reflection, empowerment, and connection. Featuring powerful metaphors and stories, including a reflection on Circus in a Teacup, a survivor-led performance at QPAC, this is a journey through darkness toward light. "From grief to growth, from brokenness to brilliance.”
Coming Soon:
We’re still editing our fourth Stepping Stones podcast episode—so watch this space for more transformational moments from the voices of survivors.
A Program That Changes Lives
From creative exploration to deep inner work, from practical parenting tools to shared sisterhood, Stepping Stones helps survivors move from surviving to thriving. These heartfelt reflections and measurable outcomes affirm that when survivors are supported by those who understand, healing is not only possible — it becomes a pathway forward.
Thank you to all the courageous participants, compassionate facilitators, and inspiring survivor-leaders who made this program a powerful journey of healing and hope.
A huge thank you to the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust for making the Stepping Stones life-changing program a reality.
Read more about Stepping Stones
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