HEALING AND EMPOWERMENT CENTER FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS

Abstract

The journey to recovery doesn't end when a battered woman enters a shelter; it only begins. Even after finding safety, one of the main reasons a woman can go back to her abuser is her fear of change. The repeated cycles of abuse become a way of life and even positive transition can feel Moving on from her personal life and, if she has dependent children, her new life at the shelter can appear more terrifying than her previous perilous circumstances. Unlike for other women, for a battered woman, her relationship with the word “home” is triggering- her sense of belonging having been eroded by her abuser. A shelter must be much more than just a space with a closed door. The area should support the person in regaining their dignity and feeling of self. It should heal and empower at the same time- the absence of any one can mean Designers must put a strong emphasis on facilitating this shift when developing environments that provide survivors with a fresh start, all the while making sure that the transition between different environments is comfortable enough to welcome her to the facility but push her to just the right extent, to pursue her path to recovery.