Spotting the signs of domestic abuse

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAINING

Shear Haven’s founder Susanne Post and Liz McKeon, the organisation’s UK Ambassador, explain why holistic therapists should take part in their free training to guide clients towards appropriate help in cases of domestic violence…

Holistic therapists are in a special position to spot signs of domestic violence because clients open up about their personal lives and what is really going on. It is often not a one-time conversation; it might take patience and time for someone to really open up. Helping can be as simple as having brochures and hotlines printed and available for those in need.

The Shear Haven training course is a free overview that helps therapists recognise the signs of domestic violence, learning to respond to the client in a non-judgmental way and how to refer to resources that can get the client to a trained professional. The client knows their situation best and when it is safe to leave. Holistic therapists are not and should not be mandatory reporters of abuse, as this could put the client in an even riskier situation.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales showed that 1.6 million women and 757,000 men had experienced domestic abuse between March 2019 and March 2020, a 7% rise in cases recorded by the police. Between April and June 2020, there was a 65% increase in calls to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, when compared to the first three months of that year.

There are many misconceptions about emotional or verbal abuse not being as significant as physical abuse. This simply isn’t true. The abuser will try to use forms of manipulation and put-downs in order to undermine one’s confidence and self-esteem, as well as isolating them from others. One way they will do this is by controlling the finances. The victim may not have the ability or financial means to feel comfortable leaving. Often close friends and relatives get cut off from the victim, so holistic therapists may be the only consistent contact in their lives.

The Shear Haven training consists of a 20 minute training session followed by a short quiz. After completion, you will receive a personalised certificate of achievement. It can be printed out, or shared via social media. It was important for us to offer it at no charge, to reach as many people who needed it as possible. Some signs to look out for include inconsistent or last minute cancellations or clients who have become more isolated from close family and friends. There are also the physical signs of abuse, such as bruising around the neck and arms or other parts of the body, bald spots or damage to the scalp where hair has been pulled out, make-up to hide bruising or clothing that doesn’t match the weather, such as sweaters to cover/hide the physical signs of abuse.

To date, over 25,000 people have been certified. We have received feedback from service providers about how eye-opening the information was. Many have told us that it helped them recognise and get to safety in their own abusive circumstances, while others have received resources that have helped them support clients or loved ones.

It is too early to tell how many lives have been saved due to this training, but by providing the knowledge to this industry, we are confident that many lives will be saved and many abusive relationships will end with the victim being able to safely escape. n

iFind out how to undertake this training by visiting www.easylms.com/shear-haven-domestic-violencetraining/course-58210