Skip to main content

Get Support

If you have been impacted by sexual violence, it’s never your fault.

Support is available to all members of the Laurier community who have been impacted by gendered or sexual violence, regardless of when or where the violence took place. Healing from trauma and accessing support looks different for everyone. Laurier's Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention and Supports can provide information on the different options available to you and can support you in figuring out what works best for you.

Steps to Take After a Recent Sexual Assault

Find Safety or Seek Medical Attention

Sexual violence counselling is available during regular university hours on campus in both Waterloo and Brantford, as well as through a partnership with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region.

Students can also access these Sexual Assault Support Centre 24/7 support and crisis lines:

  • Waterloo: 519.741.8633
  • Waterloo On-Campus Sexual Assault Support Centre Counselling: 519.571.0121
  • Brantford: 519.751.3471

For emergency services: 

  • Call 911, or
  • Special Constable Services at 519.885.3333. 

Get Support and Find Healing

Talking with others can be an important step in healing. Connect with a counsellor, a support line or a friend. 

We Believe You. We're Here for You.

Sexual violence is a traumatic violation of the body, mind, and spirit. It can profoundly impact a person’s health and well-being. Each person reacts differently to sexual violence and there is no right or wrong way to cope with or to feel about your experience.

We are here to listen to you and, with your consent, we can assist you with:

  • Safety planning.
  • Referrals to counselling and medical services.
  • Trauma-informed care resources.
  • Academic and campus accommodations.
  • Understanding the on- and off-campus reporting and complaint options available to you (including understanding official complaint procedures).
  • Navigating systems and resources within the university and the broader community.
  • Supporting communications between the survivor and the university.
  • Advocacy within university systems and legal systems.
  • Resources for all individuals who have been impacted by gender-based or sexual violence (e.g., family and friends of survivors, people who have received disclosures, and people who have caused harm).
  • Understanding limits to confidentiality.

All services are available in person, over the phone, or through email.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self preservation and that is an act of political warfare.”

Audre Lorde, black, lesbian, feminist writer, scholar and activist

Be Gentle With Yourself

Self care is about taking care of ourselves – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

It is about (re)learning how to be gentle with ourselves and how to attend to our needs. Self care is crucial for our survival, wellbeing, and growth, especially after experiencing harm.

You deserve radical care and love. Remember that, like healing, self care is a non-linear practice. What you need will change and grow at different times and in reaction to different things.

Laurier's Commitment to Survivors

All survivors of gendered and sexual violence at Laurier have the right to:

  • Be provided with non-judgmental and compassionate support;
  • Be treated with dignity and respect;
  • Be informed about on- and off-campus services, resources, and official complaint and reporting options;
  • Choose whether or not to access support services and decide which services they feel would be most beneficial;
  • Include a support person of their choice in meetings related to their case;
  • Have all reasonable actions taken to provide a safe and supportive working, learning and living environment including accommodations related to academics, work, campus life, recreation, and residence;
  • Receive assistance in developing a personal and/or workplace safety plan; and
  • Be kept informed, in a timely manner, about university processes that are undertaken as a result of information they have disclosed or reported, including who is informed about a case, the status and outcome of an investigation, and whether accountability measures have been taken.

Resources for Survivors

We've collected some resources that may be helpful for survivors: