Carlos was first referred to JBWS’ Abuse Ceases Today (A.C.T.) program several years ago. However, he did not complete the entirety of the 26-week group counseling program designed to encourage behavior change and accountability.
Because he did not complete the program, Carlos was mandated to attend A.C.T. once more. This time, Carlos attended every session but didn’t engage much with the material. He would only speak about his use of abuse in private, reluctant to share his thought processes in group. He struggled to explore how his behavior affected himself, his partner, and their children.
Instead, he focused on blaming them for his abusive behavior and minimized its impact on his family. A year after completing A.C.T., Carlos reoffended and was ordered to go through the program once more. However, this time was different – his group participation, self-reflection, and understanding of the impact of his behavior had changed.
He began to speak honestly about the abuse he used against his partner and children. While the group challenged him on his choice to abuse his partner, they acknowledged and supported his decision to face the harm he caused his family. As the sessions progressed, Carlos began to challenge his beliefs that contributed to his decisions to abuse his partner.
As Carlos continued to participate more in group, he recognized the impact of his behavior on his children. He realized that he wanted to have deep, loving relationships with them instead of one based on fear.
The skills that Carlos learned in the A.C.T. program helped him recognize that he had the ability to be the father he always wanted to be and completed the program with a strong motivation to continue his change.
Learn more: jbws.org/jcnv
