More Positive Me Courses

In 2010 I attended a pattern changing course and it was life changing for me. I learned life skills I wish I had known from a young age. I had worked as a beauty therapist for over 25 years when my eyesight faded and as I had been volunteering within the domestic abuse field I explored it further. I love empowering people who have been through abuse and showing them they deserve better. People who don’t believe in themselves, or have had their light dimmed from abuse. I am privileged to have co facilitated pattern changing courses over the past eight years and worked as a domestic abuse support adviser until recently.’ I’ve had a year out working full time but I struggled as a single mum and dealing with my own mental wellbeing. Although my boss was extremely supportive, I realised I was not following my dream and decided to focus on More Positive Me. I started ‘Tuesdays’ as an opportunity for peer support and a chance to work on my next book project. I also challenge the media to use the words ‘domestic abuse’ in their reporting of domestic abuse and to provide a helpline number, much as the Samaritans number is at the end of reporting on a suicide, or suspected suicide.

i used to work as Manager for The Witness Service for Central and North Devon Courts. I managed a large team of amazing volunteers who provided support for victims and witnesses going to court to give evidence. It was during my work in the courts that I found myself advocating on behalf of victims to ensure their views were taken on board throughout the court process it was clear that there needed to be more support for women and their children who had to come to court and face their abusers. I became the Court Specialist Domestic Violence Advisor & Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advisor and spent the next 10 years supporting and advocating on behalf of victims and their families through the criminal justice system trying to achieve the best outcomes we could for them and most importantly trying to keep them safe. I trained to deliver the Pattern Changing course. I found it to be one of the most rewarding parts of my job. To watch the women on the group from the day they start the course to the day they leave and the transformation for some of them was incredible. I could not believe that what we were showing them was so simple but so powerful in helping them move on in a more positive way and feeling more confident in themselves. I qualified to teach adults as I knew that what I really loved doing was facilitating the courses and delivering training. I worked as a Family Practitioner for DCC for 2 years and during my time at DCC I have become part of the training Champions Team and am now trained to deliver Child Protection training, as well as a number of parenting programs and a healthy relationships program for males. So I am excited about joining Jeanette to provide these valuable courses and to be able to go on the journey with the amazing people we work with.