AFTERCARE &
RECOVERY
ABOUT CARDIFF WOMEN’S CENTRE
Whether you’ve just begun your healing journey or have been a long-term survivors, Cardiff Women’s Centre provides a range of support for both individuals and groups, along with trauma-informed activities and workshops.
Our compassionate and knowledgeable team are here to help you heal, learn, grow and explore in a safe and empowering community. We provide group work and 1:1 therapeutic support to walk with you on your healing journey. This includes informal wellbeing and skill-building activities; group work focused on learning about and healing from abuse; peer support; counselling; and more.
HOW WE SUPPORT YOU
PATH
Psychological Advocacy Towards Healing (PATH) is a series of 1:1 sessions using psychological intervention specifically tailored for survivors of DVA and delivered by a specialist domestic violence advocate. It empowers the participant to apply therapeutic strategies such as relaxation, challenging thoughts or goal setting, to promote recovery from each problem.
OWN MY LIFE
Own My Life is a 12 week group course that supports women in regaining ownership of their lives after experiencing abuse or violence by an intimate male partner. Through short videos, group discussions, individual activities, and a comprehensive learning journal, survivors are given the tools to rebuild their confidence & self esteem. This course is best suited to those who have left their partners and feel ready to reflect on their past experiences.
PHOENIX
The Phoenix Programme is a 5 week educational course that supports women who are either currently in an abusive relationship or have experienced abuse in the past. The group enables women to explore an introduction to what abuse is and how to recognise it, as well as reflect on the impact abuse may have had on them and their children. The course is run in groups of 6-12 women with the use of diagrams, videos and group discussions.
PLAY THERAPY
Play Therapy at CWA is an intervention for children who have experienced domestic abuse. It is a child-centred intervention that helps children express their feelings through play. By providing them with a range of play areas including creative, sensory, nurturing and games, children have many outlets for their feelings. Play combined with a trusting therapeutic relationship helps them to properly process their experiences.
PEER SUPPORT CAFES
Our peer support cafes are unstructured drop in sessions that enable women to meet others who may have been through similar experiences. The sessions are run by staff and volunteers but the aim of sessions is to allow women to meet and build friendships with peers. Conversations vary week by week allowing attendees to discuss what is on their mind. See below for more details.
WORKSHOPS
Our wellbeing and skills workshops feature a range of activities and are open to all women in Cardiff who have experienced abuse. All of our workshops are trauma-informed, meaning those leading the sessions have an in-depth understanding of violence against women, domestic violence and sexual abuse, and can support participants who have experienced this. See below for more details.
ACTIVITIES
FANCY A CUPPA?
Safe Spaces Cafe: Tuesdays 10-11:30am
Safe Space Cafe is a place for women to come and have a hot drink, be themselves and meet others. This is a friendly and accessible space where there is the opportunity to meet new people, talk with our lovely volunteers and have a natter about anything on your mind. Staff are also on hand if you have queries or concerns you’d like to talk about.
Craft cafe: Thursdays 1-2:30pm
Craft Cafe is a place to meet others, learn something new and take your mind off of things that might be going on in life. Every week there are a range of easily accessible crafts to try or women are free to bring their own crafts in to continue.
Cardiff University – Stronger Together Project
Thursdays 4-5:30pm (hosted at Cardiff University Student Union)
The Stronger Together project aims to support and provide information to students who have experienced or are concerned about sexual and domestic violence. In collaboration with the students who set up the project, we run weekly drop-in sessions in Cardiff University’s Student Union. Our weekly sessions include discussions, activities, information sharing, videos and wellbeing exercises, all of which are aimed at supporting and empowering students.
Trauma Informed Yoga course:
Thursdays 11-12am
Cardiff Women’s Aid have teamed up with OMpower Community Yoga to provide a free trauma informed yoga course to women in Cardiff who have experienced abuse or trauma. Sessions will be easily accessible without needing to get onto the floor and will focus on helping us feel safe and empowered in our bodies. Women require a referral to receive a series of 8 weekly sessions, please enquire for more information.
Our community engagement and peer support activities in the Women’s Centre work is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
