It’s often a subject of fascination (or of complete avoidance!) when I tell people I work with perpetrators of abuse. It’s a niche area to work in, with few perpetrator services available, so I’d like to share my reflections and insights from my time working in this field. I’ve worked mostly with men, in groups and on a 1:1 basis, delivering behaviour change programmes. I’ve always been drawn to working in these areas, though at first doubted I ever could, and am fascinated by why people do what they do. In this workshop I’ll be reflecting on my own experiences, the impact on me personally, how it has impacted my thinking on working with the “bad guys” and what we can take away to reflect on and learn about humanity, society and building a more compassionate world.
This will be a personal informal talk, with Q&A at the end. Due to confidentiality, no specific cases, individuals or organisations will be named or discussed.
Course Content
Presenter
Mel Ciavucco is an Integrative Counsellor, writer, trainer and group facilitator. She is interested in all kinds of eating distress and disordered eating, body image and weight stigma, especially advocating for people in larger bodies. Mel also has experience in domestic abuse and working with perpetrators. She was published in Therapy Today with an article about fatphobia (June 2021 edition) and she writes about disordered eating, weight stigma, class, and more on her website.
