In a video released during Prevention of Violence Against Women Week, the Revelstoke Women’s Shelter Society educates on how and why so many people remain in unhealthy relationships, and why they can be difficult to identify.
“It’s like the frog, who stays in the pot of boiling water because the temperatures is being turned up really slowly,” explained Melanie Parkin, registered psychologist with Ascent Psychology, in a news release.
She is one of the many local counsellors featured in the video, helping people understand how people find themselves in an unhealthy relationship. The video highlights the importance education can play in preventing violence, especially with young people.
“So many of us grew up in relationships that weren’t particularly healthy and we weren’t taught these kinds of things,” said Parkin.
The Revelstoke Women’s Shelter helps educate on healthy relationships and provides resources for those in need of support.
Most notably, the shelter’s outreach programs offer peer support through a variety of activities for both men and women.
While the women’s program, Moving Forward, offers free yoga and art classes via Zoom (due to COVID), the men’s program offers virtual “campfire” chats and more.
Most notably however, the shelter now offers free counselling as part of its programming, to any individual who feels they could benefit, including children.
The counselling and peer support programs provide a means to discuss and learn about healthy relationships in an open and non-judgemental environment, where everyone is welcome.
“Educating our children about healthy relationships will impact future generations,” said Lynn Loeppky, executive director of the society, in a news release.
She adds that educating young people is especially important because it can help shape how they view relationships throughout their lives.
“For those who have been struggling within their relationship, this video can help bring perspective as to what they may be experiencing,” stated the news release. “Not all violence is physical and the impacts of emotional abuse can be just as harmful to an individual.”
The video was produced by FD Productions and funded by the Columbia Basin Trust. It is meant for people of all ages and genders and does not focus specifically on domestic violence, reads the news release.
“Rather, the video explores the cycle of violence, and features several local residents sharing candidly the elements of a healthy relationship.”
To find out more about the shelter’s outreach programs, connect with our Moving Forward women’s program coordinator, movingforward@telus.net , or our men’s outreach program: movingmountains@telus.net. Reach the 24-hour crisis line at 250-837-1111. Find the video on Youtube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=zveGs4RlauE.