ESTEVAN – The Envision Counselling and Support Centre Inc. will be launching a new support group for individuals who have survived or are surviving domestic violence.
This group will run every Thursday from Nov. 17-Dec. 22 from 6:30-8 p.m. in Estevan.
The focus of this group is empowerment. It will allow individuals who have endured or are going through domestic violence to have a safe space to connect with each other, so they can decrease feelings of isolation while increasing self-esteem and coping tools.
“We have found that there continues to be gaps in services and knowledge in our communities surrounding domestic violence and the impacts that it has on individuals, children, families and our community as a whole,” said Larissa Smeltzer, rapid access counsellor at Envision. “We are hopeful that by offering this support group, it will decrease the stigma around domestic violence while increasing education and support.”
“We continue to work hard exploring options for services and support that can be offered to help decrease the gaps in services in southeast Saskatchewan,” Smeltzer added.
According to Envision, 80 per cent of survivors of domestic violence tell family or friends of their situation, but only 30 per cent report the abuse to the police. Statistics Canada’s most recent data shows that Saskatchewan has the highest rate of reported intimate partner violence among all provinces, and it is more than double the national rate.
“Statistics like this really solidify the need for Envision Counselling to create and facilitate a support group focused on the empowerment of individuals who have or are experiencing domestic violence,” states a press release. “This support group is a step towards collective healing, and is intended to be one more space where survivors of domestic violence can feel supported and safe to share, heal and grow through and from their experience(s).”
For more information on this domestic violence support group, please call the Estevan office at 306-637-4004.
