From violence to a life with safety
From violence to a life with safety is for those who have experienced domestic violence and have moved forward to a safe location in life. Still, you may struggle with aftermaths. You may not even be aware that you have symptoms (e.g.: anxiety, difficulty sleeping, memory loss or short temper), that are related to your past.
Sharing experiences provides a common understanding of why people struggle in the aftermath of an abusive relationship. Now we can offer a method that will help you to understand your own pattern of reactions, and in addition you will learn techniques that you can use yourself.
We want you to feel safe on the course, and that you will have the experience that it is easier to move forward, when you participate in a group with others who have similar experiences to you.
The course will give you greater insight into your own situation. You will gain more courage and motivation to find meaning in life and deal with challenges. The course may give you a better night's sleep, less physical ailments such as e.g. headache, stomach aches and inner chaos.
Practical information
The special course From violence to a life with safety is designed for you who have experienced domestic violence and have moved forward to a safe location in life.
The course runs over 8 weeks and lasts for 2.5 hours each time. Between course-day 5 and 6, there will be 3 weeks, where self-training is included.
All sessions are built upon each other, and it is therefore important that you attend all course days.
The maximum number of participants is ten. We want to take care of everyone in a safe and good way, and that everyone gets good results.
I will guide you safely through the process and you decide for yourself how much you want to share.
By participating in a group, you open up to giving and receiving support, and sharing experiences with others.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
E-mail: dorothee@deborahborgensstiftelse.no
Phone: +47 99 15 75 48
In a project in Trondheim municipality, a course was developed, which was held in the crisis centre. The course was evaluated, and a summary has been made of how the course was conducted and an evaluation from participants.
Brief description of course content
Course day 1
In order to move on after domestic violence, looking back is absolutely necessary. We call it a now situation that we want to move forward from. Before we can leave it behind, we need to understand what we have been exposed to, the dynamics of violence and common reactions such as anger, passivity and paralysis.
Acknowledgment is the first step towards change.
Is it possible to change?
Yes, today we know that it is, through research and knowledge. You will get to know how you can make changes during these weeks we are together.
We will collect concrete tools that you can use after the course, and here we will start with the first.
Course day 2
The brain contains billions of nerve cells, which through an advanced interaction control thoughts, feelings, behavior and movements, and process all impulses received.
We will look into the brain's mechanisms when the alarm center kicks in. We will also look into our brain’s development and understanding of our own development and behavior.
You will gain a better understanding of the mechanisms by which we are steered by, and better understanding of how we are mentally built as human beings.
It's about releasing stress, so that you can access the resources that bring you forward. We find a relaxed and green zone, which will help us to smoother flow.
We continue with more concrete tools that will help you.
Course day 3
When we are to understand ourselves, we must understand ourselves in regards of what we have experienced.
In the same way that infants need positive care and stimulation, do adults as well.
Using an exercise, we will train the brain so that it teams up with you and you can gain from it. We are building a stress-free zone.
We can change the brain by building new neural pathways, while a larger part of the brain's network is put into use.
Course day 4
Most people are good at talking themselves down, just because we have trained ourselves to do so. In this part, we will practice uplifting ourselves.
The feeling of mastery is one of the most important things for a human being, and we will be able to do that when we have techniques to take some actual steps and be able to do it ourselves.
We are expanding the tools. DB-System® has two simple techniques, which will help you to lead yourself.
- Nightfilm for quality sleep and good solutions
- The Creative Corner for a structured conversation with oneself
Coming to terms with yourself, back to who you really are, will help you make better choices because you can see the possibilities. You can comfort yourself and get the good lasting changes you need in order to move from a present situation to a future you can handle.
Course day 5
Once you have cleared the way you see the world and your place in the world, you can once again enter the management seat. Then it remains to find where your path should go.
This may be something you haven’t even considered until now. If you are to find direction in life and move forward, you must be able to orientate yourself.
We need goals in life to find direction, and goals are an orientation tool. Together we will look at how you can find (back to) your dreams and have the tools to move towards your goals.
You are ready to lead yourself!
Course day 6
You may be familiar with the expression: "Practice makes perfect". If we want to become good at something, we have to practice and experience.
We have therefore put in a few weeks of self-training, before we have the last session of the course. Once you've gone through the steps and practiced for a while, it's nice to be able to share experiences.
On this course day, we will evaluate and share experiences you have gained along the way. You can ask questions and get guidance on things that may have been difficult to complete.
In addition, you will get an additional tool to structure your day in a more efficient way.
Questions and answers
When you are in a domestic abuse relationship, a completely different offer is required, and you may need urgent help and support. If you are in acute danger and need good solutions on a practical level, contact your nearest crisis centre.
When you have left the abusive relationship, you will feel that it has left lasting marks on your life. If you want to change these neural pathways, this course is for you.