• Conversations of Hope

Domestic violence and intimate partner abuse often occurs in plain sight. Yet we rarely consider it could be happening in our own neighbourhood or to people we know. In this video conversation, Karen talks about her own neighbourhood and the 3 neighbours, each successful in their own careers, who were being abused by their life partners.

• Conversations of Hope

Leaving an abusive relationship is difficult and it’s something that’s difficult to do on your own. Karen talks about the 4 people she heavily relied on in those early years of rebuilding her life and describes why they were so important.

• Conversations of Hope

Living with an abusive partner is horrendous and sometimes there aren’t any ideal decisions. You simply need to choose between 2 horrible options. That’s not an easy thing to do. In this video conversation, Karen talks about the first of many hard decisions she needed to make as part of leaving her abuser and rebuilding her life.

• Conversations of Hope

In this powerful video conversation, Karen explains why victims of domestic violence and intimate partner abuse should never blame themselves for their abuser’s actions. She also gives insights into how abusers groom and manipulate their victims. If you or someone you know is living in an abusive relationship, we hope this video conversation provides a different perspective.

• Conversations of Hope

Once you make the decision to leave an abusive relationship, you may find you start to second-guess yourself or get cold feet about leaving. Karen talks about her feelings of indecision and her ultimate realisation that leaving her abuser was the wisest decision she has ever made.

• Conversations of Hope

In this video conversation, Karen talks about the importance of celebrating all the teeny, tiny steps you are taking as you rebuild your life. Each one helps you transition from a victim to a survivor. She also talks about the great life lesson she learned and how powerful it was in helping her transition from a victim-survivor to thriving.

• Conversations of Hope

Before you leave an abusive relationship, you may be fearful about things like, how you will manage financially or be concerned about the responsibilities of being a single parent. When Karen left her abusive relationship, she discovered there were unexpected challenges as well. She shares some of them in this video conversation. Karen also shares how she regained her confidence.

• Conversations of Hope

From lived experience, Karen knows how easy it is to make excuses for your abuser’s behaviour. She did it herself. In this video conversation, Karen removes the excuses, looks at abuse from a different perspective and asks, “What does abuse feel like for you?”

• Conversations of Hope

When she left the abusive relationship, Karen thought the abuse and intimidation would stop. Most people find it doesn’t. However, leaving your abusive partner means you gain control of your environment and limit your exposure to abuse. But you still need to be careful.

• Conversations of Hope

Once you make the decision to leave an abusive relationship, the next challenge is working out how to get out. In this video conversation, Karen talks about her 2 escape plan options. She also discusses what she would do differently now that she understands the dangers for people living with an abusive life partner.

• Conversations of Hope

Karen was very conflicted about whether she should leave her life partner after the initial threat of abuse. Then 3 little words popped into her head. Learn about those 3 little words, how they changed her perspective and gave her direction on what she needed to do next.

• Conversations of Hope

Do you think you’re too well educated or too well informed to ever find yourself in an abusive relationship? Karen did. Then on Christmas Day 2003 her world was shattered when her life partner threatened her with a carving knife. In this video conversation, Karen talks about why she found it hard to leave an abusive relationship.

• Conversations of Hope

All relationships have ups and downs. So why leave your life partner if they are lovely most of the time and rarely harm you physically? Karen gives a completely different perspective. She talks about the importance of trust, the volatility of abusers and why these are the reasons to leave the relationship.