Journey Beyond Abuse: A Step-By-Step Guide to Facilitating Women's Domestic Abuse Groups [Paperback]

Kay-Laurel Fischer (Author), Michael F. McGrane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1997

Create a program where women increase their understanding of the dynamics of abuse, feel less alone and isolated, feel empowered to make positive choices, and have a greater awareness of channels to safety. Includes detailed instructions on how to facilitate each session including its goals, format, activities, and important issues that the session raises for both the participants and facilitators.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A rich resource. Clear and precise. An important tool to a facilitator in all phases of a battered women's group." -- Lou Powell, Facilitator and Advocate, Women's Advocates, St. Paul, MN

"Finally, a focused and comprehensive program for women's healing. Use it!" -- Sue Cramer, LCSW, Navy Family Advocacy Program, San Diego, California

"This book should be used as a guide by all who daily confront this unspeakable tragedy." -- The late Sheila Wellstone, National Leader and Spokesperson on Issues of Domestic Violence

"Valuable for women in a support group environment making the decision whether to stay in or leave the abusive relationship." -- Jacqueline Smith-Munson, Domestic Abuse Educator, Private Consultant

From the Publisher

Create compelling women's groups that deal effectively with domestic abuse. Journey Beyond Abuse and its accompanying participant's journal, Moving Beyond Abuse, give you complete tools for facilitating a powerful group with life-changing results. Used together, these unique books can help you create a program where women increase their understanding of the dynamics of abuse, feel less alone and isolated, feel empowered to make positive choices, and have a greater awareness to channels of safety. Adapt this flexible program to your group's specific needs. No two groups are the same. Journey Beyond Abuse gives you twenty-one group sessions, which you can combine to create groups of differing length and focus. The sessions are based on the successful program developed by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation which had been used with more than 1,200 women. You'll get detailed instructions on how to facilitate each session including its goals, format, activities, and important issues that the session raises for both the participants and facilitators. This practical guide also includes:

* An overview of the history, philosophy, and goals of this model and how to best use the program

* Information and tips on how to handle 28 special issues such as child care, safety and protection, and substance abuse

* Facilitation techniques, cofacilitation, intake and individual counseling, and recommended policies and procedures * Useful appendices including reproducible forms such as a women's domestic abuse summary sheet, her goals and strengths, self-care plan, and much more

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Fieldstone Alliance; 1 edition (June 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0940069148
• ISBN-13: 978-0940069145
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #284,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Guide for Group Therapy for DV Victims, January 24, 2011

By 

AMOMMY "allison" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey Beyond Abuse: A Step-By-Step Guide to Facilitating Women's Domestic Abuse Groups (Paperback)

I relied on this book heavily for the three years I lead psychodynamic, short-term group therapy for women victims of domestic violence. It is excellent! The exercises and handouts are engaging and enlightening for the women clients, and the book is easy to use and verrry practical. I did not follow the book in strict order (which could be done), but used the exercises in the group as I saw that it fit. I still remember one handout on the "59 reasons that women stay in abusive relationships" that I handed out to the group, and one woman said, "There are that many! I had no idea..." There is also an exercise where the women write down the negative things they have heard people say to them in their lives, then read aloud, defend against that statement, and crumple it up and throw it away in the garbage. I found it hokey when I read it, but it was very powerful when I did it in group.

Anyway, if you are leading groups for DV victims, this is a must. The groups I lead were mostly African-AM, Latina, Muslim, and low income, homeless, and mentally ill. And although I don't remember that the book focused much on how issues of sexuality, race, class, or mental illness affect DV specifically, it did a great solid job with DV issues that are common across all of these groups. I used other books to supplement this one to address additional issues.

4.0 out of 5 stars Journey Beyond Abuse, November 6, 2006

By 

Martha M. Vasconcell (Boston, MA,USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey Beyond Abuse: A Step-By-Step Guide to Facilitating Women's Domestic Abuse Groups (Paperback)

It is a good book. It helps and gives important information about how to organize a group for women who were domestically abused.