The Experience of Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual abuse is spirituality that has turned toxic. It ceases to be beneficial and instead becomes a tool to inflict emotional, spiritual and physical damage. Through in-depth interviews with spiritual abuse survivors, researcher David J. Ward identified six core themes of spiritual abuse. The following list is adapted from his article, “The Lived Experience of…
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Domestic Violence in the Courtroom
“I’m going to take the kids from you if you ever leave.” “I’m going to tell the judge you’re crazy and a bad mother. They’ll believe me and not you.” “You can’t keep my kids from me, I have rights. You’re going to get in trouble.” The counselors and advocates at Genesis hear these stories…
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Self-Care During the Holidays
The holidays are upon us! For many people, the holidays are a joyous time to enjoy the company of family and loved ones, but for many of our clients and for domestic violence survivors, the holidays can be an exceptionally difficult time. The holidays can be a time of isolation, memories of past holidays (good…
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Part III: How Children Can Heal from the Effects of Domestic Violence
“Don’t give up on yourself and your children. Healing takes time, but it does happen.”- Lundy Bancroft This is the third part of a series dedicated to domestic violence and children: Part I: how domestic violence impacts children Part II: how to talk to children about domestic violence According to the Childhood Domestic Violence…
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“It Can’t Happen Here.”
When I share about my job as a women and children’s therapist at Genesis, people are often surprised at the prevalence of domestic violence in Dallas and across the country. I usually hear versions of the same statement: “That can’t be happening in my [church, school, job, community, etc.].” I hate to be the bearer…
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Domestic Violence in Later Life
At Genesis Women’s Shelter, we know that domestic violence is an equal opportunity epidemic. There are no neighborhoods or socioeconomic groups that abuse doesn’t touch, nor is it restricted to specific age groups. According to the National Council on Aging, 10% of Americans aged 60 and up have experienced some form of abuse. The actual…
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How Young Professionals can Get Involved with a Nonprofit in Dallas
Let’s imagine for a moment: you’re a 20- or 30-something who wants to give back to the community. Amidst a sea of like-minded young professionals in Dallas, where can you make the greatest impact? How young professionals can get involved in a Dallas nonprofit In 2001, the Genesis Young Leaders auxiliary was founded as an…
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The profile of an abuser
Many women who come to Genesis for support end up asking the question “How can I learn to spot an abusive man at the beginning of a potential relationship?” The truth is, a perpetrator of domestic violence doesn’t always look like a scary monster. It’s rarely obvious that someone is abusive in the early stages…
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Is Your Relationship Healthy?
Carrie sat in her house, alone, replaying in her mind the argument she had with her husband before he slammed the door and left. Carrie wondered what she had done to make him so upset. “Things had gotten out of hand,” she thought. “He has a hard time controlling his anger,” she thought. “Sure, it…
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The Hidden Costs of Escaping Domestic Violence
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but at Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, we fight every day to give women and children in abusive situations a way out. Domestic violence impacts one in three women in Texas – more than breast cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer combined. And in all domestic violence cases, financial abuse is…
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