Practical training to assure independent survival is necessary. No single counselor can provide all the help that is usually needed at the outset. A successful intervention is multidisciplinary, proactive, and well coordinated. Survivors who have learned to cope not only with abusive spouses, but with intimidating bureaucracies are valuable allies. Attorneys who are willing to help with civil orders on short notice are critical assets.
Shelters are often necessary.
Doctors who will document wounds and testify to their findings may save a life. Police and welfare professionals are now more educated, aware and specialized. Unfortunately, other obligations frequently intrude. The therapist or counselor helps initially by opening the door to all of these resources, by assuring that life threatening issues are appropriately addressed, by deferring any exploration of self defeating patterns of behavior until safety is achieved and a new network has been formed. Since the family of origin is, too often, a source of insult and betrayal, undermining the woman's search for freedom and dignity, counselors learn to assess trustworthy contacts.