MARS (Men Affected by Rape and Sexual assault) is a self-help group that meets weekly, for recovery from sexual assault.

The intakes for participants are in February, April, July and October.  If you’re interested in joining an intake, please use our Expression of interest form on our Contact Us page to register.

Each participant is able to meet their own particular needs at their own pace by making their own decisions about when to speak, how much to share, speaking of their own personal experience and using the group for as long as they need. some men have been attending now for a number of years, while others come for a three month session.

Each participant makes his own decisions about attending.

MARS is assisted by funding from the department of communities, Queensland Government. MARS assists participants to feel better about themselves, heal their relationships and move on. Since 1993, 360 men have used the group.

A message from Dr Wendell Rosevear:

TO BE RAPED IS …	TO RECOVER IS …
TO BE OVER POWERED	TO BE RE-EMPOWERED
TO BE DENIED CHOICE	TO RE-GAIN CHOICE
TO BE DEGRADED	TO BE RESTORED AND HEAL
TO BE TREATED LESS THAN	TO BE EQUAL
TO HAVE HONESTY IGNORED	TO GAIN RESPECT THROUGH HONESTY
TO BE USED AND ABUSED	TO LOVE AND TRUST

A message from a first timer

Mars Mission Success

The first time I climbed the stairs to MARS I felt the planet would have been closer than the room the group was meeting in. The terror was worse than the abuse had been; I had already survived that. The anticipation of what was going to happen and was scarier than anything else I had done, the fear of the unknown being projected in my mind like a mad movie, surreal and disjointed.

I walked into a room and looked around; I was totally disorientated. The room was full of normal people. They looked normal, they acted normal. Was I the only one here for abuse recovery? My own self image was challenged by this group of normal people sitting around the room. I was the freak, unlovable, unwanted and damaged beyond repair, mixing with a
room full of normal people. I must have got the night wrong.

A few of the guys were chatting to themselves and greeted me pointing to an empty seat. I was being accepted as part of the group. I was still terrified but it appeared that most of the new guys where terrified too. The reality of the group was it is a safe, supported self help group full of fellow survivors on a similar journey.

So I began my journey to recovery, scarier than an interplanetary mission, but done in safety with a group of fellow travelers to whom I really do owe my life.

I wish you all; Peace and Happiness