MY LIFE DOMESTIC ABUSE AWARENESS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

This is a 12 week programme (one session per week) suitable for local women who have experienced domestic abuse in their adult relationships. Typically, a group will consist of up to fourteen women and is led by 2 trained female facilitators.

Programme aims

The aim is that women who have completed the programme will be able to:

recognise and identify their experiences of abuse
recognise how domestic abuse impacts on children and parenting
identify support systems and feel less isolated
develop their confidence in making safe choices and decisions about their future
demonstrate their knowledge of their rights to access other support and information
recognise and indicate their feelings.

Programme content

A combination of presentations, group discussion, individual and group exercises are used including Protective Behaviours and Risk Assessments. Boundaries such as confidentiality and respecting the views and differences of others are agreed and acknowledged each week.

Each participant sets their personal goals and has an individual learning plan. The programme is evaluated through self assessment, a midway review and evaluation completed on the last session.

Over the 12 weeks, participants will learn the following:

Week 1 What is abuse?

Week 2 Early Warning Signs

Week 3 How does it affect me? How do I cope?

Week 4 Why we stay

Week 5 My feelings, thoughts and behaviour

Week 6 Being safe, how might that feel?

Week 7 Choices and why we make them

Week 8 The power of words

Week 9 Personal boundaries in my life

Week 10 My parenting

Week 11 How might my children be affected?

Week 12 My life, moving on

Whilst attending the Programme women will be given the opportunity to access additional support, where necessary, including seeking legal and housing advice, starting one-to-one counselling or looking at support services for their children as a result of their increased awareness and confidence.

Referrals & accessing the Programme

Women may be referred to My Life by social workers, health visitors, family support staff and GPs or women can self-refer.

A one-to-one appointment to assess current risk, suitability for the programme and answer any questions is usually booked prior to being offered a place on the Programme.

For referrals, self-referrals or to find out more about My Life please contact

Alison Thomas

The My Life course was excellent, Alison and Martha were both so supportive and caring and looking out for each of us. It changed my understanding of what I have been through, what it did to me and how to start to move on. It was also a rare opportunity to meet other women who have or are going through similar situations and to not feel so alone and know that there are other people who understand how it can happen. I wish there could be more opportunities for this centre to provide more of this. Thank you for all your help!

Feedback from the My Life Programme

“This course has been great. It has been very helpful at helping me identify the patterns of violence and abuse.”

“It was like the course was talking about me personally.”

“This course has made me feel so much more informed about my domestic situation. I feel now like I’ve got the right to take action!”

“Now I feel really more confident. I am now hoping that I have broken the cycle of abuse and can really move my life on.”

“The course has enabled me to realise that I am not alone and that there is life after abuse.”

“This course has helped me very much. It has kept me on track and helped me to keep away from my ex.”

“I have never been able to open up to anyone before. Throughout this course I have become very open. I have also become more assertive because of this course.”

“I now feel more confident to move on in my life. I am looking forward to building my life again. Thank you!”