Ella’s story

Ella is 22 years old and has a young son with her violent and abusive ex-partner. She was referred to JUNO following assaulting her ex-partner’s new girlfriend. Ella shared that she felt remorseful, embarrassed, and regretted her actions.

During the initial assessment, Ella disclosed that she was nervous, suffered from anxiety, and felt unable to attend the group. The JUNO worker reassured her that JUNO was a woman-only group and a safe and confidential space. She met Ella early outside the venue so that she was the first client to arrive, giving her time to adjust and get a feel for this new environment.

During the JUNO workshop, Ella disclosed several adverse childhood experiences, including divorced parents, substance misuse by parents, being a victim of emotional abuse and having witnessed domestic abuse as a child. As a result, she has poor mental health and struggles with depression and anxiety.

Although the relationship with the father of her son has ended, her ex-partner continues the abuse. Recently he had destroyed both her home and the home of her mum, and these incidents are currently going through the court process. Hampshire Constabulary had already referred Ella to a domestic abuse victim service, and both Ella and her son were moved after the incident for their protection.

During the workshops, Ella was initially quiet and anxious, but with the help of trauma-informed strategies she became more relaxed, engaging in all tasks and talking openly about her past. Within a short time, she was open enough to discuss that she felt she needed help and support to deal with the trauma and aftermath of the abuse.

After completing both workshops, Ella was supported through her court case, making sure she had a representative to attend the court proceedings with her. She was referred to the Freedom Project to enable her to deal with past trauma for herself and her son, and ongoing support is still being offered.