Women are the 

experts in their own lives

Women are the experts on their own lives

They need our support in moving forward (much like a pregnant woman needs a midwife to help her through labour), but women are the experts on their lives, what they need and how we can best support them.

Depathologisation

Often women with abusive partners are pathologised which involves treating them as if they are “psychologically abnormal”.  However, women’s reactions and management of their lives with an abuser are usually totally normal.  The issue is the abuser, not the woman. 

Depathologisation

Trauma Literacy and Psychoeducation

Building women’s literacy about trauma will enable them to more quickly regain ownership of their lives and make sense of the ways they have responded to an abuser and the wider pressures and challenges within their life.

Trauma literacy and psychoeducation

Information ownership

The information within the group will be owned by the group.

Information ownership

Right use of power

Right use of power

The facilitator and the organisation running the Own My Life Course holds significant power and this must be acknowledged and managed appropriately.

Collaborative not competitive

The Own My Life Course recognises that patriarchy seeks to divide women to conquer them, this is evident in women’s magazines, TV programmes, the beauty industry and across society.  We seek to foster collaborative spaces which build sisterhood and resist competitive attitudes.

Collaborative not competitive

Liberation and equality

 The current state is one in which women are oppressed by men and misogyny; black people are oppressed by white people and white supremacy; lesbian and gay people are oppressed by heterosexual ideals; transgender people are oppressed by transphobia; and disabled people are oppressed by a society designed by and for able-bodied people.  The Own My Life Course works to ensure all participants experience equality of opportunity but seeks to move beyond equality to full liberation.

Liberation and equality

Honouring resistance

Women always resist abusers and this resistace should be honoured. Sadly, when women share how they have resisted abuse, they can be met with scorn and blame. The Own My Life course seeks to honour women's resistance.

Honouring resistance

Right use of power

Addressing the professional/personal dichotomy

Women’s services have developed a tendency to treat professional knowledge and expertise as of greater value, however appropriate and ethical use of our personal narratives as professionals can be helpful and useful to women.