Women Aware, Inc.

PALS (Peace: A Learned Solution)

For a copy of our Safety Plan, please click here.
For a copy of our Domestic Violence Services, please click here.

The Women Aware, Inc. PALS (Peace: a Learned Solution) Program offers counseling and supportive services to families who have been victimized by domestic violence and abuse.

The PALS Program provides services to families. A Counselor/Advocate meets with the non-abusive parent while a Creative Arts Therapist sees the child.

Victims of domestic violence face unique challenges as parents

Adult victims of domestic violence face many challenges in addition to the usual problems that all parents face. Abusive partners often emotionally abuse and manipulate their children, to upset the nonabusive parent. They may try to turn the children against the victim. After leaving an abusive relationship, the abuse may continue for years, especially if there are children involved. Abusive people often continue to harass their ex-partner and fight over child custody and visitation. Safety continues to be a major issue for many families. Single parents may face the difficulty of being able to find and afford housing, transportation, and childcare.

Children are also victims of domestic violence

Children are also victims when there is domestic violence in the home. It is very stressful for children to witness abusive words and violence directed at their parent or caretaker. The emotional damage caused when one parent hurts the other often affects a child as significantly as if the abuse was directed at the child.

Even after parents separate, children are often put in the middle of parental conflict or used as pawns to further victimize the nonabusive parent. Children often become depressed and anxious and have stress-related problems, such as frequent headaches and stomachaches, as a result of exposure to violence in the home. Many have low self-esteem or do poorly in school. Many become aggressive and act out. Some mimic the abusive behavior they witnessed.

Women Aware, Inc. PALS Program Services

PALS Program Services for Adults include:
1. Trauma sensitive counseling to empower domestic violence survivors
2. Counseling to build on parenting techniques that address concerns unique to families exposed to domestic violence
3. Information, referrals, advocacy and resource counseling to help program participants live free from abuse
4. Parenting groups
5. Donations when available: toys, books, toiletries, school supplies, canned goods and non-preishable foods.

PALS Program Services for Children include:
1. Individual counseling sessions with a child therapist for children, ages 3-12
2. Creative arts therapy groups for children and teens (kindergarten through high school)

PALS Children’s Counseling Services

Counseling services for children are designed to promote children’s well-being and help them recover from the effects of domestic violence.

Individual Counseling: Creative Arts, Play and Talk Therapy

Individual counseling help children to recover from trauma, reduce negative emotions and behaviors, improve self-esteem, and learn positive coping and anger-management skills. Services are provided by a creative arts therapist who is trained in creative arts, play and talk therapy.

Creative arts and play are children’s natural way of learning, developing, and expressing their feelings. These modalities are beneficial for children of all ages and are especially helpful for children who are too young to be able to talk through and resolve their problems. Creative arts and play therapy involve the use of play to communicate with children and to help children recover from trauma, learn more positive ways to cope, solve problems, and change negative behaviors.

Creative Arts Therapy Groups

Creative arts therapy is highly effective in helping children to express and explore their feelings. In a group setting, children learn that there are other children dealing with similar problems, which helps them feel less isolated. The group provides an ideal setting for teaching children socialization skills, conflict resolution skills, and alternatives to violence when expressing one’s anger.

An 8 year old boy drew this series of volcanoes as a means of processing the trauma of domestic violence.

Eligibility for PALS

In order to access PALS services, one must not currently be living in an abusive situation. In order for children to be able to process the trauma, they must not be living in a household actively experiencing DV.

All families with children (age 3 through 17) who have witnessed or been exposed to domestic violence are eligible. Services can be provided to children, the nonabusive parent, current guardian, and/or foster parent.

All families with children (age 3 through 12) that are headed by a person who is or has been a victim of domestic violence are eligible.

If you might benefit from this program, call the PALS Program at 732-249-4900.