Around the holidays, cases of family violence, unfortunately, become more prevalent due to the added stress of Christmas, however, locals in Airdrie have the opportunity to receive free counseling or to attend programs at Community Links.

Community Links offers several counseling and learning programs that can help anyone going through a domestic abuse situation. Support services manager Sandra Joe says that Community Links is ready to offer counseling for those suffering for free.

“First of all, we do have our walk-in clinic which is offered on Thursday nights from 2:30 to 7 p.m. and Fridays 1 till 3. That's automatic and urgent. You come in, first come first serve. We're also, over the holiday season, opening it up to the public on the 24th from 8:30 in the morning until 11:30 in the afternoon,” says Joe. “For women who are victims or men who are victims of family violence, there are no costs for victims of Family Violence at community links. Everything is free.”

If finding a babysitter is stopping a victim from attending counseling, Community Links is more than happy to help.

“We also provide childcare so the mothers can attend group. Mothers or fathers can attend group and counseling.”

Besides the counseling, Community Links offers certain programs for both men and women. Some programs are for the abusers to learn and reform. Although most who attend have been mandated by the court to be there, others can also sign themselves up without an issue.

“So we do have a program that called “A Journey of Change: Men” and it is for people who have been charged. They come to Airdrie community links for treatment. It’s a 16-week treatment to learn different skills to be able to work through family violence. It’s to help them with their awareness and belief around intimate partner violence. Each week has a different module. It's family violence treatment.”

However, women are also able to be abusers. Community Links has another program in place for those such individuals.

“The Journey of Change: Men is for abusers, and we also have a Journey of Change: Women for women who are abusers as well, so it’s both male and female in different groups at different times.”

For victims, Community Links also have programs to assist.

“For women who are victims we have a program called Journey of Healing, it’s a women’s group that occurs two times a month. Its free, from 6:30 to 8:30 and we also provide childcare as well.”

Although victims of family violence can be both men and women, women are far more likely to be on receiving end. Community Links has a program to help women victims, but not for men specifically. However, the men are more than welcome to seek counseling.

“We do have one-on-one counseling. We don’t have a victim support group for men yet, but we have had one for women for 15 years. If you’re being abused, male or female, you can come for counseling at any time. There’s no waitlist for anyone who is a victim, they get in right away, but our regular counseling does have a wait list.”

Family violence counseling is special and different than other forms of counseling. Joe says that they also offer anger management courses, but even those seemingly similar issues are extremely different.

“If you’re angry, you’re angry all the time: You’re angry at the bus driver, you’re angry at your dog, you’re angry at your neighbor, you’re angry at so many people, but usually with family violence, you’re only angry at your partner.”

When one thinks of abuse, one tends to think of bruises and physical damage. However, although sticks and stones can hurt your bones, words can do serious mental and psychological damage. Although harder to detect than a broken bone, mental wounds can be just as painful.

“Emotional and verbal and psychological abuse I’d say is the most common. Something like having constant criticism, or being screamed at all the time, or mocked all the time, or putting you down in front of your kids, or swearing at you in front of your kids or being screamed or yelled at in front of your kids, it’s emotional, verbal and psychological abuse.”

Joe encourages anyone suffering at the hands of a loved one to come into Community Links and seek help.

“Try to come in one and one and try to talk to someone. Community Links is large; people don’t know why you’re coming here. We have an array of services and when you walk in the door we don’t say ‘this is a domestic violence (case)’.”

“We just want you to come in and see.”

 

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