This service aims to promote awareness and empowerment strategies for mothers and children, to provide a safe space of trust for children, to help to strengthen mothers’ feeling of competence, to identify and strengthen useful protection and coping strategies for children and develop protection scenarios, to strengthen the relationship and foster communication between mothers and their children as well as to build interaction between children and shelter workers, children and third parties, and children and children, in a spirit of equality and solidarity. We pursue these goals with the help of the following services:
Short-term one-on-one counselling
One-on-one counselling is available to teenagers over the age of 14 experiencing domestic violence at home as well as teenage girls 14 years and older who may be the victims of abuse in a romantic relationship. Counselling includes an assessment of needs, exploration of adapted tools and referrals to partner resources.
One-on-one meeting while living at the shelter
One-on-one meetings are held to learn about the experiences of mothers and children, listen to their needs, provide a safe space where they can express themselves, and identify their skills. An important component of these meetings involves coming up with a protection plan together with the mother and her children that is based on their circumstances, needs and wants.
Mothers’ groups
Mothers’ groups allow mothers to talk about their experiences, make connections with the analysis of domestic violence, and come together to support each other. They are offered on a five-week cycle, once a week and cover the following topics:
- Welcoming each other, creating links and a safe environment
- Being a mother in situations of abuse
- Being a child in situations of abuse
- Communication between mothers and their children
- Protecting and creating a network for my child
