What is INTEGRITY ?
It is the balance between what we think, what we say and what we do.
OUR INTERVENTION POLICY
At La Sortie, we are proud of the approach and intervention policy we offer.
Sexual exploitation is a form of slavery where human beings are traded for sexual purposes. Victims (mostly women and girls) are recruited, transported, transferred, accommodated or held by force, the threat of force or other forms of coercion. Sexual exploitation can be on a national or international scale. The participation of the victims is mostly involuntary, because even when there is consent, it is obtained by fraud, deception, kidnapping, abuse of authority, or it results from a situation of vulnerability.
Although our mission is limited to individual intervention and we do not lobby, we support any initiative or organization promoting the abolition of sex trafficking.
Prostitution is the practice of sex in exchange for money, goods or services, mainly for reasons other than one’s own sexual and emotional needs. In addition to street prostitution (the most visible form of prostitution), prostitution encompasses several types of sex-related activities: erotic massages, escorting, nude and erotic dancing, pornography, services of erotic phone lines and more recently, cybersex.
From a clinical point of view, it is an attempt to cope with a deficiency, a tension or an emotional, mental, physical or even spiritual discomfort of an individual. The person seeks to calm tensions (internal-external) by becoming dependent on this lifestyle that ultimately leads to exploitation; a state of losing one’s autonomy and freedom. For example:
- A woman who has been pushed to prostitution to please a pimp (security and emotional need);
- A woman who is incited to prostitution to provide for her own needs (physiological need);
- A woman who remains involved because she feels valued even if it is only for sex (need for approval);
- A woman who sustains her living and family environment from the benefits of prostitution (need for fulfillment).
The biopsychosocial conception of the individual adopts a global intervention orientation and is used to promote a modification of the unconscious, conscious or behavioural structure of the participant through a therapeutic process. This aim makes it possible to grasp the biological, psychological and social realities of the participant and to modify them according to her specific needs and of all that life implies as a whole so that the participant is in harmony with her environment and then with herself.
Dependence: insofar as the well-being of an individual is the result of an equilibrium-imbalance between one or another of the spheres of life (bio-psycho-social) of an individual, the dependence of drugs and alcohol or of any form of related codependence is thus manifested by the expression of an emotional, mental, physical or spiritual “deficiency”, tension or “discomfort” of an individual.
The individual seeks to appease tensions (internal-external) by becoming dependent on a substance or habit, which ultimately results in the loss of autonomy and freedom in the individual.
In other words, dependence is defined as the symptom of an imbalance in an individual’s relationship with herself and her environment. It is an expensive means that exacerbates the difficulties of adaptation. Thus, preventing the individual from searching for more appropriate or effective solutions to manage her difficulties. From this perspective, it is important to emphasize that La Sortie does not consider dependence as the result of a wholly organic illness, nor as a form of moral vice, a lack of will or a genetic problem.
Feminist intervention promotes gender equality and takes into account the reality that women have different needs than men. These principles guide our approach and intervention philosophy:
- Women are in no way held responsible for the violence they have suffered;
- Women have the right to autonomy, respect and freedom;
- Women have the potential and skills to control their lives and make decisions according to their interests;
- No form of intervention is imposed;
- The choices, values and needs of the participant are respected;
- Support is provided to participants as they progress.
We also recognize the intersectionality of oppression—that is, some women may experience many forms of abuse related to their status, class, race, sexual orientation, or physical disability—and that these forms of oppression can make them more vulnerable and at risk of sexual violence.
Apolitical intervention: La Sortie prioritizes the help provided to victims and considers that issues such as the legalization of prostitution and its surroundings have a limited impact on the recovery of survivors. Whether a woman is exploited in a legal or illegal context, any such exploitation will result in damage that will require therapeutic assistance. The concern relating to this phenomenon stems from the many social and health problems that can be associated with it.
Prostitution can no longer be approached as a simple problem of social marginality and requires the application of multiple, varied and integrated actions to better prevent, reduce and treat the individual and collective damage associated with the practices of prostitution. However, we support organizations working for the abolition of sexual exploitation.
OUR INTERVENTION APPROACH
Motivational coaching (MC): our intervention is based on the participant’s empowerment (empowerment to act) and on her learning to manage her problems (social skills acquisition for example), which will allow her to find her place and value in society. With Motivational Coaching, the participant is led to find her own solutions to the various problems she experiences. The other parts of the program (group sessions and community work) indirectly affect the individual’s recovery and growth. It is a long process and aims to minimalize confrontation. The slow process is an asset. Those who accept the pacing are progressing while those who expect “miracle solutions, quick and painless” will leave us… and may come back.
MC is part of a harm reduction and humanist perspective. Briefly, MC is an individual-centred approach to intervention that aims to increase the intrinsic motivation for change in targeted behaviour by encouraging the person to explore and resolve ambivalence. In practice, the MC is based on four intervention principles that promote change:
- Expressing empathy through a person-centred style and reflective listening that promotes a climate of unconditional acceptance;
- Develop the divergence. For example: highlight and amplify the difference between the participant’s behaviour, her values of reference and her objectives, while promoting the resolution of ambivalence, helping the participant to mobilize towards change;
- “Rolling” with resistance, that is to say avoiding confrontation, recognizing that the participant is the first source of response and solution to her difficulties, and proposing ideas rather than imposing them;
- Reinforce the sense of self-efficiency by giving the participant the merit of her opportunities and abilities to change.
A personalized program: there is no competition or failure, but rather a personal challenge, a value to be found with the achievement of success. As a result, we take into account a number of realities including homelessness, addiction, mental health, etc. In addition, the development of a community spirit respectful of others, allows the participant to better understand the reality of life in society, the importance of self and mutual empowerment, the need for respect for others as well as her own value as a human being. Our intervention staff is there to remove fear and provide help.
