Broadening the ‘Survivor Capsule’ of Intimate Partner Violence Services

Abstract

Abstract This study responds to a need to expand current understandings of the ways in which counselling services for intimate partner violence (IPV) address trauma. From the perspectives of fifteen women who accessed IPV counselling services in Ontario, Canada, this feminist intersectional study used constructivist grounded theory methods to explore how services help women heal from trauma. Specifically, the study aimed to understand how counselling services meet the needs of survivors of IPV and respond to their complex identities and experiences of trauma and oppression. Findings exemplify the theoretical concept of a survivor capsule, illustrating ways in which women’s unique lives often do not fit into current IPV services, showing a need for more complex intersectional understandings of women’s experiences of IPV and trauma. These study findings demonstrate the importance of recognising women’s individual needs for multiple services as well as the harm caused when women have to fight to access the services they need. Findings also illustrate the instrumental role of counsellors who provide validation, are connected with women’s experiences, and are knowledgeable about IPV and trauma. Finally, suggestions are put forward for ways in which service providers can create spaces of acceptance rather than services that are stigmatising.