Catholic Family Services - Peel Dufferin // Counselling Programs

Quick Access Program

Offered by both our Mississauga and Brampton offices (day or evening appointments), this program is for clients who have been exposed to a traumatic incident (ie., victim of a crime, woman abuse, survivor of childhood trauma, grief, and loss) and who are suffering discomfort as a result of the trauma.

The Quick Access Program provides brief counselling (1-6 sessions), crisis intervention, assessment, advocacy and/or referral to trauma and abuse survivors. There is usually no wait for this program.

High risk or recent attempted suicide will be referred to other resources.

Regular Stream Counselling

Sometimes the preparation required to initiate and manage change takes more than a new idea or fresh way of seeing things. It can require time and energy to develop the understanding, ability and skills to take the steps towards change that we desire in our lives.

In order to respond to the variety of issues that clients bring to counselling, as well as promote the kind of change clients wish to achieve, Catholic Family Services of Peel-Dufferin offers a longer-term counselling option. This way of working can allow greater time and energy to be spent in the therapeutic partnership.

Clients are offered up to nineteen sessions in this program

Women Supporting Women

Women Supporting Women is an introductory psycho-educational support group for women who have been or are currently in an abusive relationship. Abuse is broadly defined and includes financial, physical, sexual, emotional and/or verbal abuse. The Group provides information about:

The nature of abuse
The effects of abuse on women and their children
Community resources and how to access them
How women can develop a safety plan for herself and her children
Stress management and self-care

Women Supporting Women is a closed group that runs for 10 weeks.

There is no fee and childcare is provided.

Becoming Visible

The Becoming Visible Group is a closed group for women dealing with current or past abuse in a relationship. This is a second stage group focused on therapy to help women overcome the effects of abuse. Women support each other in exploring their stories of abuse and taking the necessary steps to protect themselves from further abuse.

Women are self-referred. Pre-group interviews are held prior to the group and the following guide for inclusion is utilized:

Ability to commit to attendance during group.
Ability to make own childcare and transportation arrangements.
Some understanding of woman abuse issues.
Ability to act self-protectively when physically abused or threatened.

This program runs 16-18 weeks and is offered:

Fall/Winter Cycle—Brampton
Winter/Spring Cycle—Mississauga

Language specific women’s support groups are available in the following languages:

Spanish, Polish and Punjabi

Partner Contact Program

This program contributes to the empowerment and safety of partners during the men’s participation in the program. It provides partners of abusive men with support, options, protective action and information to help assess and cope with their situation. We are able to link partners with other agency programs and culturally specific women’s abuse groups.

Who Is Contacted?

Current or past female partners of clients who are attending the Man To Man Group, regardless of relationship status: in a dating relationship, currently living with partner or temporarily/permanently separated.

Goal of Partner Contact

To promote the safety of women and children
To empower women to take protective action for themselves and their children
To provide support, options, and information
To encourage women to assess their individual / family situation

Partner Contact Worker Can Help You

understand the dynamics of abuse
develop a Safety Plan
connect to community supports for information, support, legal rights, etc.
become more aware of risk factors in the relationship
learn more about the men’s program
obtain information about your partners attendance in the men’s group
connect with counselling services for yourself and your children (if any)

What To Expect From Service

4 Contacts (by phone/mail/in-person) over the course of the men’s participation in group
To be notified by a worker if you and/or your children are at imminent risk
Information delivered via mail includes: explanation on individual rights for women exposed to abuse, resources, support services, methods of accessing this information
Referrals made regarding counseling services within and/or outside the agency
To be heard and respected!

Partner Contact Program: 905-897-1644 ext. 122