What is mediation? Is mediation appropriate when there is domestic violence present in the relationship? To begin, mediation is defined as a structured, interactive process where an impartial third party assists disputing parties in resolving conflict through the use of specialized communication and negotiation techniques. All participants are encouraged to participate in the process, keeping…

Each year, five million children witness domestic violence in the United States. Although children are affected by domestic violence, there are ways in which the adults in their lives can help them. Oftentimes, people are under the assumption that children are not impacted by things that happen during their childhood. While people frequently make comments…

Intimate partner violence takes a staggering toll on Texans. One in three Texas women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, which is higher than the national average of one in four. This sobering statistic is even more troublesome when we consider that over three million people—more people than the population of 20 other states—live…

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about domestic violence. One of these myths, that abused children grow up to be abusers themselves, I know to be false from my experience growing up with a survivor of domestic violence. From a very young age, I knew that my father grew up in a house…

When a person wants to start therapy, we always start off by asking what their therapy goals are. Why do they want therapy and what are they hoping to gain from attending therapy? Most people respond by saying they want to feel better. For trauma therapy specifically, the client wants to feel relief from the…

Do you ever wonder who answers the phone when you call, or what face you might see when you come to our Outreach office for the first time? Meet Sarah, the office manager at our Outreach location on Lemmon Avenue! What can one expect when calling or visiting our outreach office? We are so happy…

A few weeks ago as I was getting out of my car and walking into my office at our shelter, as usual, I smiled at our landscaping crew working hard outside. I was met with neutral faces. I quickly realized that I was wearing sunglasses and a mask. Of course, they could not see my…

Domestic violence does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion or socioeconomic status. While domestic violence impacts the lives of all women of all backgrounds, society does not treat all victims of abuse equally. Social biases influence how society perceives survivors of domestic violence, and stereotypes often create barriers for care and assistance. This…

One of the questions that is often posed in regard to a woman experiencing domestic violence is why didn’t she contact law enforcement when she was experiencing the abuse? The assumption is it must have not been so bad if it was not worth contacting law enforcement, but the truth is there are many reasons…