UNC medical student creates writing support group at Compass Center

A UNC medical student created an eight-week support group at the Compass Center to help domestic violence victims heal through writing.

Neha Verma, a second-year medical student, said she has always been interested in creative writing and women’s health. When she was an undergraduate student at UNC, she was a creative writing minor and a volunteer doula.

“I think that these women have such important stories and I think that with domestic violence, people don’t often think about how long the consequences extend,” Verma said.

“Survivors of domestic violence often have higher rates of depression, they feel socially isolated and so I think it’s been great to see these women writing their stories but also forming a community amongst themselves and providing support to each other.”

Dr. Amy Weil, a professor in the medical school, said she became close with Verma after Verma took her course called The Healer’s Art.

“She’s passionate about writing and I can imagine from knowing her and hearing what she had written that she would be wonderful at drawing that out of people and being supportive of them,” Weil said.

Connie Carringer, support group coordinator at the Compass Center, said she was excited when Verma reached out to her about the group.

“I knew that a writing group was something that quite a few of our clients would get something out of and were interested in doing,” Carringer said.

Carringer said in the past, the group hosted a peer-led writing support group for victims of domestic violence.

“I had a couple of clients who had participated as group members in domestic violence support groups in the past who had experience using writing for their own healing process, and also teaching writing or were writers in a professional way, and they wanted to offer a peer group for other survivors using writing,” Carringer said.

Carringer said the peer-led group created a book called “A War Against the Mirror” from a compilation of writings done by participants over the course of the group.

Verma also hopes to create a publication at the end of her group.

“I want to distribute it for free at places like the Chapel Hill Public Library or the Women’s Health Information Center at the hospital,” she said.

“Just to increase awareness about the Compass Center and the resources offered there as well as just letting survivors of domestic violence know that they’re not alone.”

Carringer said the writing and healing support group is going well.

“Group members are continuing to come to group which is a good indicator that they’re getting something out of it,” Carringer said.

Carringer said the center is fortunate to have student volunteers like Verma.

“We work with a ton of students,” Carringer said. “We really couldn’t do what we do here without them.”

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