Presented by: Kate Johnson, LMHC, DMin
Why Women Stay and Go Back,
Often Over and Over
3 Domestic Hours
Description
So much misunderstanding revolves around the question, “Why does she stay?” But is that the real question? Does it shift blame? Create shame? Do faith beliefs play a role in a person’s decision to stay or leave? Does the person abusing use faith to abuse, coerce, and manipulate? Are there more dynamics in play than just a simple choice to leave, or stay for that matter? There is nothing simple about understanding behaviors associated with domestic abuse and violence. It is complex and pervasive.
Domestic Abuse/Violence is a complicated issue that involves psychological, behavioral, spiritual and physical components. We must change our thinking and reacting to be more holistic in our approach to addressing these components. As Christians, professionals, and ministers, we must be fully informed otherwise we can unwittingly do more damage than help.
Learning Objectives
This workshop will explore the basics of domestic abuse and what we can do to help in the therapeutic and church settings. We will also learn what we might do that hinders healing. Some of the topics and objectives to be addressed are:
- How to reframe our terminology to be more inclusive and behaviorally focused
- Learn the Five basic forms of abuse, including spiritual abuse
- Learn the research behind why people are abusive
- Be able to describe what keeps a person in an abusive situation
- List ways the church and others can perpetuate the abuse
- Learn basic assessment techniques that help with disclosure
- Learn how to become a S.A.F.E. place for those victimized
About the Presenter
Kate Johnson, LMHC, DMin
As an author, speaker, counselor, college professor, and as a survivor of domestic abuse, Kate brings a unique perspective to the issues of domestic violence. She experienced abuse in marriage for almost 25 years, for many reasons we all too often hear – the children, no resources, no place to go, no support, and fear. In an attempt to leave her abuser, she turned to her Christian community for help. Her experience and testimony will enlighten you to the issues that many face when suffering abuse is seen as less important than keeping the marriage together. Five weeks after leaving her abusive husband, Hurricane Andrew hit. She and her three children lost everything except each other and God. Feeling totally alone and in despair, she reached out again to her faith community. Again, she was not given support. It also was a reason she married her second husband, a minister whom she thought was different. The only thing different was the acts of abuse he perpetrated.
Kate began to use her experiences to propel her to make changes in her life. Feeling a calling from the Lord and with His help and healing, as a single mother she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s in counseling psychology, and later, when married to a godly man, a doctorate of ministry degree. She became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, has a private practice, and has been an Adjunct Professor at Trinity International University for over 20 years. She and her husband have founded the Christian Coalition Against Domestic Abuse, a nonprofit ministry, and she serves as its president. Living in Freedom and Empowerment (LiFE), a ministry of CCADA helps people to learn to live in healthy relationships. This ministry addresses issues of child, teen, adult, and elder abuse.
Sponsored by the Graduate Counseling Program of Palm Beach Atlantic University and South Florida Association of Christian Counselors
This workshop has been approved for 3 (Domestic) hours of continuing education with the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, & Mental Health Counseling
CE Broker Tracking # 20-889486 (CE Broker Provider BAP #820).
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