Description
Many couples that have experienced abuse/violence in their relationship choose to stay together. The Couples Counselling Project is a service/training/research program designed to help couples that have experienced abuse/violence in the past and want to work towards an abuse free-relationship.

When does abuse/violence occur?

• When someone threatens, mocks, insults, belittles, ridicules, or coerces another person. (This includes any behavior that causes one partner in a couple to feel frightened or worthless.)
• when someone strikes or threatens to hurt another person. (This includes pinches, pushes, slaps, and punches; it also includes preventing free movement, throwing or hitting objects, and unwanted sexual contact.)

In the Couples Counselling Project a co-therapy team works with couples who have experienced abuse/violence in the past and want to work towards an abuse/violence-free relationship. The program emphasizes safety while addressing the impact of abuse/violence. The overall goal of the program is the prevention of further abuse and greater relationship satisfaction.

Areas that may be addressed include: strategies to reduce the risk of future abuse in the relationship, identifying and addressing the effects of the abuse on individuals and on the relationship, effective problem solving and conflict resolution, supportive and respectful communication, and rebuilding trust. Services offered include couples conjoint therapy and couples group therapy.

The Couples Counselling Project is Appropriate for Couples:

• Who have experienced abuse/violence in their relationships in the past but the abuse/violence has stopped;
• when individuals who have behaved abusively/violently accept responsibility for their behaviour and can contract for continued non-violence and when individuals who have been hurt by the aggressive behaviour can develop a safety plan;
• who are committed to developing a non-abusive partner relationship.

The Couples Counselling Project is Not Appropriate When:

• violence is ongoing;
• either partner is abusing alcohol or other substances;
• either partner is suicidal;
• there are domestic violence charges pending.

Couples Counselling Project Service Information
Services offered by the Couples Counselling Project are confidential and free of charge. Clients can contact the Couples Counselling Project directly or can be referred by other professionals in the community. We will work with clients to determine which services will be most useful. 

The Couples Counselling Project is funded by the Family Violence Prevention Program, Department of Family Services and Labour, Government of Manitoba.