Kamsi contacted Sacro’s Aditi service for support and disclosed that her relationship was abusive. At this point she was still living with her abusive partner and consequently we immediately allocated an Aditi support worker.
Kamsi contacted Sacro’s Aditi service for support and disclosed that her relationship was abusive. At this point she was still living with her abusive partner and consequently we immediately allocated an Aditi support worker.
During the initial assessment and support session, Kamsi disclosed that she wanted to leave the abusive relationship and live safely and independently. As leaving an abusive relationship is a time where risk of harm is very high, Aditi worked in close partnership with Shakti in order to facilitate a safe and managed exit from the relationship.
Kamsi was initially placed in temporary accommodation but she described feeling vulnerable and extremely isolated as she was receiving no family support. Aditi provided regular phone contacts and visited her several times to provide emotional and practical support. We helped Kamsi to recognise and fully understand the patterns of abuse and coercive behaviour that had been directed at her from her ex-partner. Additionally, our worker helped her to see what a positive, healthy and equal relationship looked like and what her legal rights were.
Practical support included help with benefits and accessing funds to help her rebuild her life, gain independence, improve her self-esteem and build self-confidence.
When Kamsi left the abusive relationship, Aditi linked in with her Personal Tutor to ensure that support was in place for her from the University. Aditi were successful in obtaining a grant to purchase a laptop to support Kamsi through her university studies and to help her in her search for employment so that she was able to support herself and her child. A referral was made to Safe Families to help address the safety concerns surrounding child contact. They were also instrumental in addressing her social isolation by providing a volunteer who regularly met with her and her son. In addition to the women’s support worker, Aditi also provided therapeutic counselling and complementary therapy.
“If it wasn’t for your help and guidance, I wouldn’t be able to achieve what I have able to achieve so far, I would like to thank you for being part of my journey that was full of ups and downs and a lot of hurdles and hardship, if it wasn’t for your support today, I wouldn’t have been able to fight and stand back on my feet."
Aditi made a referral to the ‘Your Home’ service who were able to secure permanent and safe accommodation for Kamsi and her son. She is now living independently with her young son, continuing with her studies and is well on the way to gaining her university degree.
During counselling, Kamsi experienced a lot of highs and lows which reflected her lived experience at the time. There were times she would feel strong and confident and times where she felt defeated and low. Collaborative working with Aditi’s Women’s Worker and Project Coordinator took care of Kamsi’s practical needs which gave her the mental space to focus on herself and what she needed to gain out of the counselling experience.
Because of the level of Kamsi’s need, the decision was taken to extend the number of counselling sessions offered to her which she appreciated. She had experienced an emotional dip in her mental health after she left her partner, followed by some strong feelings of loneliness, fear and anxiety around how she would manage financially as a single parent. Continuing the sessions helped address some of these concerns and Kamsi began to feel more in control of her life. She became more emotionally aware and could recognise when she was experiencing negative thoughts or when she felt low. Kamsi was then able to adopt positive affirmations and remind herself of her achievements.