Recovery Week

Recovery Week is a holistic experience designed to create a relational, healing space for survivors to explore and engage the impact of their stories of sexual abuse. These intensive workshops led by Dr. Dan Allender and Allender Center Lead Instructors encourage participants toward a deep engagement of the psychological, spiritual, biological, and social aspects of both the personal and collective experience of trauma and abuse.

If you would like to be informed when applications open for our 2025 Recovery Weeks, then please join the Interest List by clicking below. We encourage you to reach out to our Admissions Team at admissions@theallendercenter.org for questions and more information.

Recovery Week offers a kind, nurturing environment for participants to engage this sacred, healing work away from everyday distractions and in the context of relationship with other survivors. The week provides teaching and discussion with Dr. Dan Allender and Allender Center Lead Instructors extending from Dr. Allender’s work in the book The Wounded Heart.

Recovery Week also includes narrative-focused group work facilitated by an Allender Center-trained facilitator. Narrative-focused group work is a carefully curated space that allows participants to explore past abuse and its effects. Participants will be able to share their stories and struggles with others, as well as in daily individual sessions with an Allender Center-trained facilitator.

Deeply life changing, the full impact of which is yet to be seen.” -Recovery Week Participant

With groups limited to 20 participants of the same gender, we offer a Men’s Recovery Week, a Women’s Recovery Week, and a Women’s Recovery Week with a Focus on Racial Trauma & Healing for Women of Color. These workshops are a time to reflect on how abuse has shaped your life. The issues considered are betrayal, powerlessness, ambivalence, and how the gospel frees us to trust, dream, and embrace life. You will be invited to engage the profound brokenness of your heartache all the while learning to love your own story.

The impact of what I learned and experienced at the Men’s Recovery Week is life changing. Even though I am still unpacking all that I learned, I can already see evidence through the peace of my spirit because of the ability to be kind to the child that was abused years ago. The large groups, small groups, 1:1 times with my facilitator, the interactions with other men participating in recovery, and the time given to practice, reflect, and exercise all played a vital part for the success of the week. The kindness received from the Recovery Week leaders, the staff… and the participants of the week is an example of God’s grace that He freely gives with unbound love and care.” -Recovery Week Participant