Joseph

Twelve-year-old Joseph came to The Shelter for counseling after many years of watching his father physically and mentally abuse his mother. On one occasion, when Joseph came to his mother’s defense and his father threw him through a glass door and down a flight of stairs.

With the help of one of the Shelter’s Raising Gentle’men advocates, Joseph worked on identifying different types of abuse. He found it very difficult to come to terms with the fact that his only male role model was abusive. It was also difficult for him to develop an understanding of how to balance healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Today, Joseph’s journey has brought him to an understanding of how domestic violence affected his family. He now has the tools needed to break from his father’s example and forge his own pathway to peace.