Table 5 Impact of Listening to Sexual Assault/Abuse Memories (i.e., Imaginal Exposures) in Group

1. Realized I’m not alone (n = 41)

• “That they hurt just like me. That I’m not alone.”

• “Huge. Hearing other women feeling the same.”

• “To know I’m not alone.”

• “Realizing I’m not alone and that there are others out there who has been through similar traumatic events and that people are willing to help.”

• “It helped me see that I’m not alone and I have a right to my feelings.”

• “That it’s okay to feel the way I do. I’m not alone, my story matters.”

2. Other positive interpersonal impact (n = 12)

• “Intimacy of closeness with another”

• “Taught me to trust”

• “A sense of closeness, understanding.”

• “It really impacted me all of the sisters stories. It made me feel comfortable in sharing and my trust has really grown.”

• “Strong impact. Helped in making me more comfortable in sharing my story.”

• “Empowering. Welcoming.”

3. Miscellaneous (n = 7)

• “It helped me identify some of the things I was blocking out from my own experiences.”

• “It touched my heart deeply. I felt some empathy for them.”

• “I was emotional, it was hard listening to their stories. I know I found myself counting or trying to focus on something when it became very overwhelming.”