
Domestic violence is a criminal behavior, punishable by law, that someone uses to dominate another. Most abuse — 95 percent — is committed by men against women. It takes many forms — threats, insults, emotional abuse, and physical and sexual violence. Abuse can range from insulting someone with words to threatening a life.
The Hospital of Saint Raphael offers abusers and their victims two separate groups to help free them from the cycle of violence.
The Women’s Group:
A Group for Women Affected By Domestic Violence
This program helps women three ways:
Education: Women learn about domestic violence, their legal rights, places to find help in the community and choices they have.
Self-help: Women share resources, learn to break the silence and talk about their feelings in a supportive, confidential setting with other women who have been in abusive relationships.
Therapy: Women learn to feel better about themselves, decrease the shame and guilt, increase awareness, and learn ways to break the cycle of violence.
Two professional therapists lead the group, which meets weekly for 10 weeks at the Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic of the Hospital of Saint Raphael. The Clinic accepts Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurances and treats everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Strict confidentiality is maintained to protect women’s safety and rights.
For more information, call (203) 784-8700.
The Men’s Group:
A Group For Men Who Want to End Their Violence Toward Women
This program helps group members learn to talk about their experiences with other men who have similar problems. Participants talk about the conflict in their relationships and explore other ways to respond to those conflicts. The goals of the group are to:
Increase self-control in difficult situations.
Identify, contain and express feelings.
Increase awareness of the danger of violence.
See things from your partner’s point of view.
Reduce stress and manage anger.
Eliminate unreasonable mistrust, suspicion and jealousy.
Develop non-violent ways to communicate and be assertive.
Decrease isolation.
Assess the use of drugs and alcohol.
This group is led by trained therapists and meets weekly at the Hospital’s Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic in New Haven. Fees for this unique men’s group — one of the only such groups in Connecticut — are set according to ability to pay. The Hospital of Saint Raphael accepts Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurances. The Hospital treats everyone who needs care, regardless of ability to pay. Strict confidentiality maintained.
For more information, call (203) 784-8700.

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