Domestic Violence Counseling Manual - Hot Peach Pages

• Empower the victim (helping her recover her own capacity for decision-making and
problem-solving and take control of her situation).
• Heal the victim (letting her grieve, reducing shame, fear, and self-blame, rebuilding selfesteem).
• Prevent future violence (helping the victim to identify and avoid situations of potential or
high risk).
5. Health Education
• Providing information on the types and consequences of family violence.
• Publicizing the unacceptability of domestic violence, and the resources that are available if
they do need help.
6. Referral
• To be made at the health professional’s discretion.
• Can include: other hospitals, other health care providers, police domestic violence unit, social
workers, or family court.
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a significant concern for anyone who has any non-consensual or
unsafe sexual contact. STDs are not only uncomfortable but also dangerous, and potentially life
threatening. Because STDs take several weeks or months to become detectable, the period of uncertainty
that all survivors must face before being tested for these diseases can be an extremely anxious one.
Finally, the stigma associated with these illnesses is a further source of shame and guilt for a survivor
who has or is worried that she might have an STD. As a counselor, you should be aware of these issues
when discussing STDs with a survivor. Because many STDs are both dangerous and difficult for the
patient to detect, it is important for a survivor to get tested and treated for these diseases. The decision to
get tested and treated for STDs can be a small way for a survivor to begin to take control of her situation
and reestablish a sense of autonomy. The following is a list of eight of the most common STDs:
1. HIV/ AIDS:
HIV is a sexually transmitted virus that causes AIDS. AIDS affects its victims by destroying their
immune systems, leaving them unable to ward off other disease and infection. These other illnesses
generally sicken and kill the patient.
• Transmission: HIV can be contracted through contact of open skin or mucus membranes with
an infected person’s bodily fluids (blood, mucus, semen). Transmission is most common
with exposure through oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Casual contact with infected persons—such
as touching or kissing—is considered to be safe. The correct use of condoms during sexual
intercourse can prevent the transmission of HIV.
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