Supporting women affected by abuse #16days

Here at Stepping Stones we believe that every woman should have the opportunity to gain the strength, knowledge and support to help prevent and take action against gendered violence and domestic abuse.

We have a dedicated team of Women’s Support Practitioners who work closely with women affected by domestic abuse and trauma and provide a range of one support and specialist structured group programmes.

Dependant on the goals of the client these services can be delivered individually, but more commonly form part of a wider package of holistic support.  This acknowledges that recognising, understanding and recovering from trauma takes time and is a complex process.

We always prioritise making sure women and their children are safe from immediate harm.  But we also pride ourselves on our ability to provide longer term support as women seek to move forward with their lives.

Two of our clients talk briefly about the services they’ve accessed with us:

“I have been using the services provided at Stepping Stones for two years. I have completed the Freedom programme, Onyx (Beyond Trauma) programme and am currently doing the Beyond Anger programme. These programmes have really helped me understand what happened to me and the impact on my children. Stepping Stones has given me the strength to carry on with life. I can talk freely without being judged and always feel understood and have expressed a lot of feelings I have kept to myself for years. Stepping Stones is my safe environment and without the services offered I would possibly not have my children in my care and possibly would not be alive.”

“Through Stepping Stones I have done the Freedom programme and Beyond Trauma. Both groups were extremely helpful and insightful and have helped me a great deal. I am very grateful to the ladies at Stepping Stones, they are all lovely and very welcoming and certainly know their stuff. I don’t think I could have gotten through the past year without support and advice! Thank you ladies of Stepping Stones.”

Our services page on our website provides more information about the types of support that we can provide to women who have faced abuse and trauma. These include the three group programmes which are mentioned by the clients in the quotes above:

• The Freedom programme is an 11 week rolling group programme that women can join at any point throughout the year.  It provides an awareness of abuse perpetrator tactics and helps women make sense of and understand what has happened to them. It also describes how children are affected by exposure to abuse and very importantly how their lives areimproved when
  abuse is removed.
• The Beyond Trauma Onyx programme is an 11 week group programme where women who have experienced domestic abuse or trauma can explore and make sense of their experiences. It aims to empower women and give them increased control over their lives. The programme supports women to understand the dynamics of violence and abuse, consider the impact it has on their lives and
  learn how to live with and recover from trauma.
• The Beyond Anger programme is a 21 week programme which explains and explores anger and violence in different areas of women’s lives. It focuses on strengths and how women can express their emotions and make positive changes to their lives.

For more information about the programmes or wider support we provide, please give us a ring on 01582 457114, text us on 07530 425154 or email us via hello@steppingstonesluton.org.uk .