Crisis Intervention & Issue Oriented Counseling

Wellspring’s goal is to help victims achieve safety and stability. Our advocates do this by providing information and education about the dynamics of relationship and/or sexual abuse as well as their rights and options related to emergency and community-based services and supporting an individual’s autonomy in making informed decisions. We also support our clients in their efforts to reconnect with themselves, the people that are important to them, and to the community.

Wellspring’s services are rooted in the understanding of why relationship and sexual abuse are perpetrated and respects the individuality and autonomy of victims. We prioritize the safety of all victims while holding the perpetrators accountable for their choice to perpetrate relationship and sexual abuse. Our services are survivor-centered, meaning our services are:
• based in the understanding of the dynamics of relationship and sexual abuse;
• emphasize the safety and autonomy of victims; and are
• focused on offender accountability.

Much of our counseling is performed as part of our intervention in a crisis related to relationship or sexual abuse. This could be through our 24-hour hotline; during a scheduled, in person appointment; or during ongoing contacts either in person or by phone. When intervening in a crisis, our advocates are focused on helping the person seeking our services to organize information about the incident that prompted the contact, identify resources that would help remedy the situation, and develop a safety plan.

But we are here not only to respond to a crisis, we are here to support and assist people at any stage of their experience with relationship and sexual abuse.

Our issue-oriented counseling, which occurs during almost all of our conversations with people seeking assistance related to relationship and sexual abuse, is an opportunity for people to view their experience of abuse through our lens of expertise regarding the dynamics of relationship and/or sexual abuse. We help people process what has happened, providing a sense of reality, perspective, or clarity about the abuse they or someone they love experienced. It can also be helpful in increasing coping skills in a safe environment.

Counseling in the context of relationship and sexual abuse is survivor-centered, strengths-based communication that recognizes that victims of relationship and sexual abuse actively work to protect themselves but sometimes need support to obtain essential services for further protection.

Counseling is not therapy. Therapy refers to intensive professional treatment for individuals, couples, and family members by licensed mental health professionals.