DOMESTIC AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLIENCE SUPPORT
Support for those recovering from domestic and family violence
Care that puts your safety, your story, and your selfhood first.
Trauma-informed psychological support for adults affected by domestic and family violence, whether the harm is current, recent, or in the past. This is a space to be believed, to make sense of what you've lived through, and to begin building something steadier.
"Domestic and family violence involves patterns of power, control, intimidation, or harm within close relationships. The impact is lasting, and having a safe space to make sense of it matters."
— KYLIE WALLS
Support for domestic and family violence
When trust and safety are violated within a relationship, the impact can reach into every part of life, affecting identity, confidence, and connection with others. Domestic and family violence can take many forms, including emotional, psychological, spiritual, financial, and physical abuse. At Refuge Psychology, support is offered with care, confidentiality, and respect for your story. The work is faith-sensitive and shaped by your own worldview and the beliefs that matter to you. Recovery begins with safety and understanding.
Domestic and family violence (DFV) occurs when one person uses patterns of power and control to dominate, intimidate, or harm another within a close relationship or family system. It can take many forms — emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, financial, or spiritual. While some forms of violence leave visible marks, others can be deeply hidden, manifesting as manipulation, fear, isolation, or erosion of confidence and autonomy. Abuse may involve threats, coercion, or using children, faith, or reputation to maintain control. Regardless of how it appears, DFV is never acceptable, and its impact can be profound and long-lasting.
Healing from domestic and family violence takes time. Survivors often experience a complex mix of grief, guilt, fear, and confusion, especially when the person causing harm was once a source of love, faith, or trust. Recovery begins with safety — emotional and physical — and the gradual rebuilding of self-worth and agency. Support from a trauma-informed psychologist can help make sense of what has happened, re-establish boundaries, and begin to restore trust in oneself and others.
For many people, faith is woven through every part of life, including the relationships in which harm has occurred. When domestic or family violence intersects with faith, the experience can become especially confusing. Religious teachings, communities, or leaders may have been used, deliberately or otherwise, to justify control, discourage you from speaking out, or pressure you to remain in an unsafe relationship. You may have been told to forgive too quickly, to submit, to keep the family together, or to consider the harm a private matter. You may also have found genuine comfort and strength in your faith, and now feel unsure how to hold both truths at once.
This intersection is something I take seriously. Previously, I worked as the Domestic and Family Violence Advisor for a faith-based organisation, supporting safer and more informed responses to harm within faith communities. That experience shaped my understanding of how violence and spiritual life can become entangled, and how important it is to have a space where both can be spoken about honestly.
In therapy, your faith is welcome but never required. We can explore how spiritual messages, community pressures, or theological beliefs may have shaped your experience of the abuse and your sense of what was possible. We can also make space for the parts of your faith that have been a source of comfort, and for the questions and doubts that may now sit alongside them. The aim is not to direct what you believe, but to support you in making sense of your experience and in rebuilding a life grounded in safety, dignity, and your own values.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 000. For confidential domestic and family violence support, information, and safety planning, you can contact 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) at any time. If you are in personal crisis or experiencing thoughts of suicide, Lifeline (13 11 14) provides 24-hour support. Therapy is one part of support and recovery, but it is not a crisis service. If you are currently unsafe, the most important first step is connecting with services that can help with immediate safety.
Faith Sensitive Psychological Support for domestic and family violence
Q&AHave questions about support for domestic & family violence?
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Yes. If you have a current Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, you may be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual psychology sessions per calendar year. These rebates help reduce the out-of-pocket cost for each session. You’ll need to provide a copy of your referral letter and MHTP prior to your first appointment.
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Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a broad term covering harmful behaviours within close relationships, including intimate partners, family members, and household members. It can include physical violence, but also emotional, psychological, verbal, financial, sexual, spiritual, and technology-facilitated abuse, as well as coercive control. Many people experience DFV without ever being physically harmed. If a relationship leaves you feeling fearful, controlled, diminished, or unable to be yourself, it is worth taking seriously.
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Many people who have experienced DFV minimise their own experiences, especially where the harm has been emotional, psychological, financial, or spiritual rather than physical. You do not need a particular label, a police report, or a sense of certainty about what happened in order to seek support. Therapy can be a space to make sense of your experience, including whether the word "violence" or "abuse" feels right to you.
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Therapy is not contingent on any particular decision about the relationship. People come to this work at many different stages, including while still in the relationship, during separation, after leaving, or long after the relationship has ended. My role is not to direct your decisions, but to support your safety, clarity, and wellbeing wherever you currently are.
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Yes. The effects of DFV can surface years or even decades later, often through anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, relationship difficulties, parenting challenges, identity disruption, or chronic physical symptoms. Therapy can support recovery at any stage, and it is never too late to begin.
Schema Therapy can be particularly helpful for individuals whose depression is linked to long-standing patterns of thinking and relating that have developed from earlier experiences. It helps uncover and address deeply held beliefs — or “schemas” — about oneself and the world, such as feelings of failure, unworthiness, or fear of rejection. By understanding how these patterns formed and how they influence current emotions and relationships, clients can begin to respond to life’s challenges with greater self-compassion, resilience, and flexibility. Over time, this process supports emotional healing and helps build a more stable and positive sense of self.
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Yes. Faith can intersect with DFV in complex ways, and I have particular experience in this area, including previously working as the Domestic and Family Violence Advisor for a faith-based organisation. Your faith is welcome but never required in therapy. We can explore how spiritual messages or community dynamics may have shaped your experience, while making room for the parts of your faith that have been a source of comfort.
To take the next step, book an confidential online session with psychologist Kylie Walls and access compassionate, trauma-informed support wherever you are in Australia.
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