Family and sexual violence
Family and sexual violence involve patterns of harm, control, or coercion that undermine a person’s safety, autonomy, and sense of self. These experiences are different from relationship difficulties that involve conflict, misattunement, or distress, and they need to be understood and responded to in distinct ways.
I have worked in family and sexual violence programs for many years and work exclusively with victim‑survivors. I do not work with people who use violence, as behaviour‑change work is a specialist area delivered by dedicated services with specific training and safeguards in place.
Experiences of abuse and assault can have profound and lasting effects. For many people, the impact continues well beyond the experience itself, shaping how they relate to others, how they see themselves, and how safe the world feels.
The impact of abuse
People who have experienced family or sexual violence are often left carrying confusion, fear, or a sense that something about them has been altered by what happened. Shame and self‑blame are common responses, even though responsibility for violence or abuse never belongs with the person who experienced it.
These responses often emerge in the context of surviving repeated harm, threat, or betrayal, particularly when violence occurs within relationships that were meant to offer care or protection. The effects can be complicated further by isolation, disbelief, or a lack of adequate support.
A space grounded in safety and context
My work in this area is grounded in an intersectional feminist framework, which recognises the role of power, control, and broader structural factors — including gender, misogyny, racism, colonialism, disability, and sexuality — in shaping experiences of violence and access to safety.
In therapy, the focus is on supporting you to make sense of what happened without minimising harm or shifting responsibility onto you. This can involve gently untangling how experiences of violence have shaped your sense of self, your boundaries, and your expectations of others.
Sessions are paced according to what feels manageable for you. There is no expectation to disclose more than you wish, or to move toward any particular outcome.
Recovery over time
Recovery from family and sexual violence is possible. It often involves gradually rebuilding a sense of safety, both internally and in relationship with others, and reconnecting with yourself in ways that feel steadier and more compassionate.
This process can take time and may unfold in phases. You do not need to move through it alone, and there is no single way recovery is meant to look.
