E088 Noura Saad Sexual Assault Support Centre
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 88
Date: October 3, 2023
Participants: Sheila Webster, Elise Seifert, John Webster and Cameron Earnshaw
Guest: Noura Saad (Interview) and Andrea Lee (Move That Body)
Start Times and Segments:
[0:00:35] What’s On Your Mind: It’s the second-last of the Elise India travel series. We hear about a trip to Taj Mahal. It’s breathtaking.
[0:10:45] Expanding Minds Interview: [Social Wellness] We interview Nour Saad, a Family Court Support Worker at the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region. SASC wraps survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in community care. They provide a safe place. They walk beside survivors. Noura tells us about what women experience, how they find SASC and how SASC supports them. the work SASC does is profound and carries a lot of value in our community.
[0:27:47] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron finally got a bit of down time, just before his birthday. Drat, enter Covid stage left.
[0:31:51] Move That Body: Andrea Lee is getting back into running.
[0:37:08] Running Popup: John noticed that all eight categories of wellness were nourished on the same day.
[0:40:54] Flipside of the Coin: A difference of perspective (i.e., lighthearted argument) on who did what for whom.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Noura – The women SASC supports have gone through some sort of domestic violence – some sort of traumatic events in their live. Domestic violence is not just physical assaults. That could be one extreme end of it. We at SASC support clients who experienced sexual assaults, gender based violence, intimate partner violence and all the colourful parts of domestic violence, be it physical, verbal, psychological, spiritual or financial.
Noura – SASC supports females and folks from the 2SLGBTQ+ community including non-binary folk.
Noura – We have clients who are trying to protect their children. They are trying to build a future that’s sustainable. They need advocacy and support.
Noura – For women who went through immense domestic abuse, we recognize that sitting in court can cause them to feel re-traumatized. They might re-live their lived experiences. We safety plan with them in case they are triggered.
Noura – We have some really great family court judges who do the work to be domestic violence informed and partner violence informed.
Noura – Clients go up against people in court who’s motive is to vilify the client, to defame them and make them lose themselves. They experience in their personal life, in addition to experiencing it court. We’re there to walk alongside them to remind them that they have the resilience and determination to come out of this. They are there to gain back their power. Our program and the work SASC does is profound and carries a lot of value in our community.
John – We call this podcast Let’s Be Well Together, because we see that as our best chance to achieve wellness – together.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Cameron: It’s like I have a beehive in there.
Guest Information: Noura Saad is a Family Court Support Worker at the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region. She’s held this role for over a year now. She works with women who experienced domestic violence and traumatic events. She helps them to navigate through the complex and challenging Family Court Support System. She has a background in Social Development Studies at the University of Waterloo. During her free time I enjoy listening to Podcasts, visiting Fine Arts Museums, hiking, Yoga and travel.
Website: Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle and Julie