At times, the process of healing will be difficult and stressful: a survivor is likely to be revisiting horrific experiences. It is crucial that before this starts, she is and feels sufficiently safe, supported and in control.
Assessment
The process of creating safety can begin even before counselling begins. A thorough assessment—including evaluations of counselling goals and main concerns—can provide useful information to both counsellor and survivor.
It can help to ensure that the counselling process is constructed to meet each woman’s needs. It may also be a chance to reassure a survivor about problems she is experiencing.
Safe Space
Providing as much clarity as possible about the counselling process can help at many different levels. This may include information about:
- who the counsellor is and how she works
- the levels and expectations for confidentiality
- the likely nature of the healing journey—with some warnings of how the work may make the woman feel
- the responsibilities and expectations of counsellor and survivor
- processes for reviewing the work as it progresses
The counselling work will initially be directed at establishing a sense of personal safety for the survivor; then extended to include external safety.
Personal safety includes taking care of:
- basic health needs, such as healthy patterns of eating, sleeping and exercise
- management of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms
- control over self-destructive behaviours
- self-care/self-soothing strategies
- re-establishing a safe living environment—especially if the attack was within the survivor’s home
- self-protection plan
External safety is concerned with establishing a safe environment and involves:
- the creation of a safe refuge
- identifying relationships that may offer protection, help, support—and allowing those she can trust to come into her world
- identifying those that may offer potential danger—and deciding how to protect herself. This may include making difficult choices that break familiar patterns of behaviour.
- choices and sacrifices she must make for freedom