From darkness to light, together

How  and why the organization was established:

My name is Orli Freund, married plus three children. I look like an average woman. No one could see I was broken inside. I studied at the university and received a degree in accounting and economics and lectured at the local college. During my childhood, from the age of five to twenty, I was a victim of brutal sexual abuse by my aunt’s husband. Because of the abuse, I suffered extreme anguish and distress. I experienced fear, sadness, guilt and more every day of my life.

After my first baby girl was born, I had to do something.

I didn’t want my little girl to suffer as I had. I started to talk about how my uncle had abused me. When my extended family did nothing, I filed a complaint against my uncle, and fought for 14 years to bring him to justice.

He was found guilty and spent the rest of his life in jail.

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I started therapy, but after less than two years I found

I couldn’t afford it. After the trial, I could not go on without emotional assistance. A group of donors donated the money for my treatment. My life was saved. For the first time I could see the horizon and plan my future. I no longer wanted to die.

I wanted to give the same gift to others, so I founded a non-profit organization, “Together from Darkness to Light”, to provide group therapy for other victims of sexual abuse during childhood.

Everyone who has suffered such atrocities needs to know that life can be different, better, and even beautiful.

I want them to know that there are those who want to help them get professional help.

What's unique about our organization?

• There is a serious shortage in mental therapy assistance  for those who have experienced sexual abuse in childhood. Long-term therapy groups almost do not exist in Israel.

• Supervision of the group is by two experienced psychologists of high professional quality, a man and a woman, who have Master’s degrees in psychology and are trained in rehabilitation. It is our belief that sitting together with a therapist from the opposite gender is therapeutic.

• We are the only organization that has groups for men and women survivors of child abuse sitting together at the same group. We believe that victims from the opposite gender being together in a healing process is therapeutic by itself.

• We in the future intend to accompanying the groups by a long term research.