Programs

What we teach

Four tracks. Each one stands on its own, each one can be repeated, and you don't have to take any of the others first.

We teach in small groups, in places our partners already use. A shelter's meeting room, a church hall, a clinic, a school. You'll know what a session contains before you walk in, and you can stop at any point and stay in the room.

Track 1

Awareness & De-escalation

Reading a situation early, and talking your way out of one.

Discussion-led. No physical contact.

What it covers

Spotting grooming, coercive control, and the patterns that come before an escalation
Setting a boundary with someone who doesn't want to hear it, and holding it
Talking someone down, and knowing when that's the wrong tool
Paying attention without living in a state of alarm, which are two different things
Leaving a place, a conversation, or a car early, without apologizing for it

Most people start here. It's also the track survivors most often tell us they wish they'd been given first.

Track 2

Trauma-Sensitive Physical Skills

A small number of simple techniques for making space and getting out.

Physical. Consent-based, opt out any time, no sparring.

What it covers

Getting out of a grip, a hold, or a pin
Strikes chosen because they work when you're not strong, not because they look impressive
Getting up off the ground, getting out, and getting to a door
Practicing with a partner you picked, at a speed you set
What to do when it's someone you know, which is how it usually goes

Nothing in this track happens by surprise. Pads and contact get announced, demonstrated, and you can say no. Sitting a drill out and watching is a perfectly good way to take this class.

Track 3

Mental & Emotional Resilience

Body-based skills for panic, flashbacks, and the exhaustion of being on alert all the time.

Co-taught with a licensed clinician. No physical contact.

What it covers

Getting grounded when your body reacts before your mind catches up
Breathing techniques that hold up under real stress, not just in a quiet room
Sleep, startle response, and what constant vigilance costs you physically
Explaining your own reactions to your kids, your boss, or your family
Recognizing when what you need is therapy, and how to find it near you

This supports clinical care. It doesn't replace it, and we'll tell you so directly if that's what you need to hear.

Track 4

Survival & Safety Planning

A written plan for your actual life. Your home, your car, your custody schedule, your phone.

Workshop plus one-on-one time. We don't keep anything you write.

What it covers

A personal safety plan you walk out holding
Practical home and car security on a small budget
Digital safety: location sharing, shared accounts, trackers, family phone plans
Protective orders, what they do and don't do, and how to file locally
Mapping out your local resources before you need them at two in the morning

A safety plan holds the most dangerous information a survivor owns. We build yours with you and you take the only copy.

Children and teens

Kids get their own program, not a shortened adult one

Children who've experienced abuse or watched it happen work on boundaries, safe adults, and using their voice. It looks a lot more like a game than a class.

A parent or guardian says yes to every session and can sit in on all of them. We never ask a child to disclose anything. Our instructors are mandated reporters, and we'll explain exactly what that means before you enroll anyone.

Ages 6–10Body autonomy, safe and unsafe secrets, who counts as a trusted adult, and asking for help out loud.
Ages 11–14Boundaries with friends and adults, early warning signs, staying safe online, and getting out of a situation without having to explain yourself.
Ages 15–18Dating violence and control, consent, digital safety, and the physical skills from Track 2 at an intensity that suits their age.

Who we serve

Who these classes are for

Women and single moms

Recovering from domestic or sexual violence, usually while holding down work, childcare, housing, and a court schedule at the same time.

Children and teens

Kids who experienced abuse directly or watched it at home, referred with a parent or guardian's consent.

Referred clients

People sent to us by shelters, DV and sexual assault agencies, caseworkers, schools, churches, clinics, and the courts.

Anyone who asks

You don't need a referral, a police report, a diagnosis, or a story you're willing to tell. When space is tight we prioritize referred survivors and people who can't pay.

Cost

Free for you. Paid for the people teaching.

Classes for survivors and their children are free. That gets funded by grants, individual donors, and the paid workplace safety training we deliver to schools, clinics, and businesses.

Our instructors and clinicians get paid for their time. Trauma-informed work done by unpaid volunteers tends to be inconsistent, and survivors have had enough of that.

Ready when you are

Tell us what you're looking for. There's no intake interview and nothing you have to prove.

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