小蓝视频

The Envision Counselling and Support Centre will hold an eight-week women's support group, starting in October.

The group is designed for women who are presently in, or have recently left, a controlling or abusive relationship. This group offers a safe environment where women can explore how the control and abuse has affected their lives and the lives of those around them.

The support group will encourage participants to educate themselves on the effects abuse has had on themselves and others around them. Women attending this group will find that they gain an increase in their own self-worth and self-esteem, by relating to others who have been or are in similar situations.

There will be a variety of different topics that members and the facilitators will focus on, such as effects of abusive and controlling relationships, the cycle of violence, types of emotional, verbal, physical and sexual abuse, and the effect the abuse has had on participants' children.

The group will begin in October, is open to any women over the age of 18, and will be a "closed group", which means no new members will be admitted once sessions have begun. There is no cost for the support group.

Patt Lenover-Adams, executive director of Envision, relates that the goal of the group is to provide a safe environment where group members can develop sufficient trust in order to allow for feedback and ongoing support during self-exploration. It also assists women in exploring and recognizing their personal strengths while developing self-confidence.

The role of Envision's staff facilitator will be to provide a healthy environment that will facilitate communication of emotional expressions, build trust and offer feedback to members. Envision staff have been facilitating this group for over 15 years in Estevan.

Evaluations from past members show that while they were initially apprehensive, they found it to be a valuable experience. Group members may feel uneasiness at the initial stages of the group, which is normal. Part of the facilitator's role will be to ease members' anxiety, said Lenover-Adams.

Women interested in attending the group must preregister with Envision by phoning their office. All group members need to make a commitment to attend all sessions. The group usually fills up quickly, so Envision encourages women who are interested to register early.