As teens develop emotionally, they are heavily influenced by experiences in their relationships. Healthy relationship behaviors can have a positive effect on a teen’s emotional development. Please check out the website https://www.loveisrespect.org/ there is important information that could help you or a loved one...

Are you worried a friend or family member may be involved in an abusive relationship? There are many steps you can take to help.

Most domestic violence victims feel very alone and confused as a result of the abuse. Victims often feel they have nowhere to turn – they may worry no one will believe them, they may blame themselves for the abuse, and they may fear their abuser will hurt them, their children, or their pets if they reveal the abuse to anyone outside their home.

You can take steps to help. Each of us has the power to reach out to someone we love and tell them that abuse is not their fault. Love shouldn’t hurt. And safety is possible. Check out these resources for additional information. https://www.thehotline.org/. https://www.loveisrespect.org/. https://supportsofia.org/

The impact of children witnessing domestic violence most often goes unnoticed. Because they are children they are forced to see and hear things that ultimately shape their characters and effect decision-making and coping skills as they get older. In this episode Annette shares her story as a child who witnessed her mother being abused as a child and impact it had and her journey to her personal healing.

It takes a long time to recover from an abusive and controlling relationship. Being monitored, isolated, stalked and abused leave their mark. Learning to love ourselves again takes patience and time. https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-heal-after-an-abusive-relationship/

There is so much that goes on during a Domestic Violence relationship. Awareness is key and conversation can lead to change.

This episodes we will talk about Domestic Violence over the holidays. Offer tips to minimize incidents of violence. Here are a few phone numbers for resources : The National Domestic Hotline 800-799-7233, SOFIA (Local) 862-251-6791, The Safe House (Local) 973-759-2154, The Family Justice Center (Local) 973-230-7229

In this first episode of Not Just October podcast, you will meet your host Wanda Edwards as she shares her vision for this podcast, the beginning of her story of surviving an abusive relationship and some topics of future episodes.