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The story of this Sport Clips Haircuts stylist may resonate with many of you and hers may unfortunately be your story as well. As you read more about her, keep in mind that one in five children in the U.S. is sexually abused before the Age of 18 and that one out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. With more than 13,000 team members across the country and the majority of stylists being women, Sport Clips made the commitment two years ago to develop and provide the most comprehensive package of support services for stylists of any hair care provider. One of those services is Saprea, a support organization for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Saprea’s mission is to liberate individuals and society from the lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse through healing, prevention, and awareness initiatives, including retreats and online resources.

NOTE: Trigger warning – sexual abuse & trauma. The name of this Stylist has been changed.

Jane was just 17 when she was raped. Now, years later, she realized she never really dealt with the trauma of that horrible event. Jane has been a Sport Clips team member for more than a decade, and says she spent years repressing everything she felt until the trauma resurfaced for her after becoming a mom. Wanting to be the best mother for her children, she knew she had to seek help for the lingering effects of her trauma.

When Jane discovered the healing work of Saprea was available to her free of charge through Sport Clips, it became a turning point in her recovery, though it took time for her to see how the program could benefit her. Initially hesitant to discuss or relive her trauma, she eventually chose to attend a Saprea retreat after consulting with close family and friends.

She now says the Saprea retreat proved to be “the most unnerving and freeing experience” for her. At first, Jane struggled with whether she could go through with it, even experiencing a panic attack…throwing up and shaking from the fear of it all. After encouragement from her closest friend to stay at the retreat and heal, she found as the days went on it was easier to discuss her abuse and use some of the grounding techniques she learned while there. Jane found she was being challenged to face the things she feared most and learned to create new neural pathways in her brain.

For Jane, the most helpful takeaways from her experience were learning it’s okay to talk about your experiences and not feel responsible for how it might make others feel. She learned how neural pathways work and how to rewire those pathways so you don’t feel like you are stuck in your traumatic experience. She learned it is okay to step away from a situation, gather yourself, and ground your thoughts when you are feeling overwhelmed. And, she learned how to stay vigilant with her own children and how to identify any warning signs of possible abuse.

She encourages other Sport Clips team members to make use of the support systems the franchise provides. Jane shares that the Saprea retreat was a very healing experience, especially with the ongoing therapy and support classes Saprea offers. She knows taking the first steps in a healing journey can be extremely challenging, she’s been there, but she could not have found the same support anywhere else.

Since attending the Saprea retreat, Jane’s quality of life has improved immensely. The experience helped her become a better person, a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, and a better friend. She has the confidence to be who she truly is and can now recognize when others need support or extra love, because she was that person. For her, the journey has been a healing one…overcoming the fear to rise above the trauma. To learn more about Saprea, visit their website. If you are a Sport Clips Team Member looking to access services, please visit Saprea.org.