- • came into this without any expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised by • came into this without any expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience and the group of people I have met. I am now part of a group that I think I will stay in touch with and that I have connected to on a completely different level than you normally would, with people you don't know that well. I can't think of anything I would change. The only thing I sometimes struggled with was my baby's bedtime; it would have been more convenient for me, if it could have finished a bit earlier, but that is literally the only thing I can think of and that is just due to my personal circumstances. I can't think of anything, I found the whole programme encouraging, supportive and informative within a very empowering, caring and trusting env ironment'.
- • absolutely loved it and the facilitator and the other women in the group. It • absolutely loved it and the facilitator and the other women in the group. It has been a very worthwhile and educational experience and I would highly recommend this to anyone'.
- • I am much more aware of the different tactics that the abuser undertakes and • I am much more aware of the different tactics that the abuser undertakes and the long-term impact it can have on someone - in particular, how it starts small and grows without one even noticing'.
- • a suggestion, I think it would be helpful if there were more moments of • a suggestion, I think it would be helpful if there were more moments of discussion about what we have gone through and how we addressed those moments, rather than the current structure of the programme which is more generic. I do appreciate the later sessions have incorporated this commentary a lot more than the earlier ones, which I am guessing has to do with how comfortable participants begin to start feeling with one another'.

## Detailed Analysis

### Overall impact of The Freedom Programme

The overall impact was very positive with 100% of those who completed the questionnaire saying that The Freedom Programme had a positive impact on their lives.

### What were the impacts of The Freedom Programme?

- • empowered to have gained relevant knowledge, confidence, feeling • empowered to have gained relevant knowledge, confidence, feeling not alone, learning lots of people go through similar situations'.
- • ga i ned more knowledge about the perpetrator tactics'. • ga i ned more knowledge about the perpetrator tactics'.
- • have found it extremely valuable to have met the facilitator and the women • have found it extremely valuable to have met the facilitator and the women attending. The impact on me has been more positively accepted than I had expected. I have felt comfortable in engaging and learning from others experiences. Attending has further instilled my belief that sharing and learning helps'.
- • am much more aware of the 'trends' exhibited by my abusive husband, and • am much more aware of the 'trends' exhibited by my abusive husband, and I feel more secire in my decision to have left him knowing he subscribes to such similar behaviours of other abusive men and is very unlikely to change'.
- • was good to meet people who have been through the same thing as me. • was good to meet people who have been through the same thing as me. Help remind me that it is not my fault what happened to me'.