Domestic Violence

All counselling programs at the Centre work from a Social Determinants of Health and Trauma Informed Care framework. The objective is for synchronicity between individual client’s priorities, needs and presentation at any one time and the most appropriate and well fitting therapeutic response.

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Counselling is client focused, confidential and conducted in a supportive, trustworthy respectful environment with individually tailored treatment options utilising each person’s inner strengths to resolve their problems and reach their life goals.

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The Domestic Violence Counselling Program is for women who are currently or who have had past experiences of domestic violence . Often there will be some other significant co occurring issues that can also be addressed in a holistic and integrated way during counselling. These issues may include:

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• Depression

• Anxiety

• Stress

• Self-esteem

• Grief and Loss / Bereavement

• Relationships

• Parenting

• Childhood sexual assault

• Adult sexual assault

• Sexual Abuse

• Trauma

• Physical health problems

• Being a carer

• A history of abuse, violence or neglect.

 

The Centre’s domestic violence counselling program encompasses prevention, early intervention, crisis, and post crisis support to clients (and their families) as well as providing a safe space for those women with ongoing and past experiences to process the complex drivers and impacts of domestic violence in their lives and consider options for recovery pathways.

The Centre has a short term counselling program that is specifically targeted to women in current domestic violence situations that often involve police intervention and/or family law court.

 

This program provides immediate:

• Emotional support

• Safety planning

• Psycho education e.g. cycle of violence

• Stress management techniques

• Symptom management

• Helps identify key therapy issues for ongoing counselling.

 

If a high level of practical/welfare, case work/management, advocacy & crisis intervention tasks are required, counsellors will work with the client and our domestic violence support partners ( such as the Family Referral Service ) to engage a range of services for the family including:

• Refuge/emergency accommodation

• Housing

• Legal/Court assistance

• Financial assistance

• AVO’s & Safety plans

• Family support services

 

This provides the client with a network of service support that can be coordinated smoothly and often without her having to retell her story to future services in often traumatic or highly emotional situations.

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Women in the longer term domestic violence counselling program usually are not in a crisis situation but may be experiencing embedded long term domestic violence patterns often involving physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, sexual and financial abuse. They may be struggling with ambivalent feelings and suffering from isolation and daily challenges coping with low income, unemployment, housing issues & family demands.

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Some women in this program have left abusive situations but continue to experience the significant and long lasting impacts of domestic violence. Longer term counselling provides them with time and safety in making sense of how complex underling issues have impacted on them and their families as well as working on any current presenting issues they may have and facilitate a journey to more productive patterns and a better state of psychological/mental and emotional wellness.

 

You are a person to meet, not a problem to solve.

 

Empowering women to improve the quality of their lives and fulfill their potential.