| (Case example:
not clients’ real names) Jenna is
7 years old and has lived in fear. Eight months
ago she witnessed her stepfather Joe assaulting
her mother Darlene. She heard Joe yell at her
mother that he would kill Jenna and her 9-year-old
brother Cameron if Darlene called the police.
The police did arrive that night, after a neighbor
called. They arrested Joe and provided Darlene
with information on where to go to get help for
herself and the children.
Soon after, Darlene ended the relationship with
Joe. At first Jenna and Cameron had seemed much
happier and more relaxed with Joe out of the house.
Later, however, the children began to show behavioural
difficulties that concerned Darlene. Cameron began
speaking to Darlene in a disrespectful way and
was bullying his little sister. Jenna’s
school marks took a nosedive, and her teacher
commented that she was easily distracted and seemed
“spaced out” much of the time.
Darlene consulted with her counsellor, who suggested
that the children’s problems were connected
to the abuse and violence that they had witnessed.
Darlene expressed that she had not felt confident
in speaking to the children about the violence,
and was not sure she could do so without becoming
very upset herself. She felt guilty about what
happened and also was afraid of saying the wrong
thing to the children. The counsellor referred
the family to the Peaceful Families Program
at CCRC.
In this program, moms and children attend weekly
group sessions for one evening per week. The evening
begins with a shared meal, after which children
attend their groups and moms also have their own
group. Two qualified counsellors facilitate each
group.
The children have an opportunity to talk about
the abuse and to process their experiences and
feelings through activities, games, discussions
and crafts. They learn that other children have
had similar
experiences and that the abuse is not their fault.
They also learn strategies for staying safe.
Darlene has been warmly supported by the other
mothers in the moms group and by the information
she has received about spousal abuse and the effect
on children. She feels more comfortable in talking
openly to the children about what happened.
The children look forward to the Monday evening
group and always remind Darlene: “It’s
group tonight, Mom.” They have made friends
in the group and have begun to be more open at
home in expressing their feelings and ideas.
Cameron has taken on a leadership role within
the group, and Darlene is pleased to hear from
the group leaders about the positive contribution
he makes to the group. She has also noticed that
he is kinder to his sister. While Jenna still
experiences anxiety about her stepfather’s
threats, she is responding to the
decreased level of tension in the home, and to
Darlene’s open communication about what
she is doing to keep them all safe.
The Peaceful Families Program is just one of
many counselling services delivered by the Clinical
Counselling team at CCRC. |
