Building the Plan(e) While Flying It

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Being under a Safe at Home order is an oxymoron when it comes to IPV, since home is where you’re in danger.

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Why Do They Try to Fix Me?

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A member of the Women’s Voices group posed this question. Her family and friends either criticized what she was doing or went into fix-it mode whenever she confided in them. All she needed was to be listened to, empathized with, and encouraged. We had a discussion in group, and I promised to write a blog on the subject as well.

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Feeling Fear and Doing It Anyway

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I counsel everyone who is embarking on something new to expect feeling fearful. It usually feels like jumping off a cliff. All the insecurities we have (and we all have them) jump out to convince us we can’t make it.

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WHEN HOLIDAYS AREN’T MERRY

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If we’re thinking of leaving the relationship, we often want to get through the holidays and put off any decisions we’re contemplating, especially when we have children. That means maintaining our mask—putting on a pretend face with family, friends, or others. I believe those who suffer from intimate abuse are the best ones to know the timing that is right for them. The last thing you need is second guessing from others who are concerned for you.

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THE MEANING OF CONSENT

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Consent is much discussed today, a very good thing. Learning that everyone has the right to determine sexual contact is healthier for everyone. However, intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual abuse, and sexual assault are too often misconstrued as consensual when they aren’t. Those who have been victimized often have their actions misinterpreted to their detriment. […]

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