Rocio Villalobos 
EDINBURG – “You are not to blame,” says Dr. Saara Grizzell.
That’s the message Dr. Saara Grizzell has for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Dr. Grizzell and Glenn Yri from the Office for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, or OVAVP facilitating a weekly support group for the UTRGV community with shared experiences.
“People come together with peers and they have those similar experiences,” says Yri. “They can learn from each other. They can learn how they’re healing. Everyone is on a healing journey.
“We really encourage people to not try to do this alone because it can be very isolating when an individual has been through a trauma such as that, to try to do it alone,” said Grizzell.
According to OVAVP, one in five women experience sexual assault in college, which is why Dr. Grizzell and Yri say it’s vital to have somewhere to turn for support.
“It takes away a person’s control. So that’s why we really need it here, because in college it can be so isolating when people say to you, “really, how did you encourage that incident?’ or “did that really happen?,” said Dr. Grizzell.
The meetings also offer strategies to help cope with anguish and are open to any survivor, including men.
“I really would encourage men that if you have experienced something, again, it’s not your fault. It actually is very difficult and very scary to ask for help, so just the fact of reaching out and talking to someone can be very empowering for somebody and it shows your strength,” said Yri.
If you know a survivor of domestic abuse or sexual assault, Grizzell and Yri say the best thing to do is offer support.
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