The Counselling & Pastoral Trust, UK

The Counselling and Pastoral Trust (CPT) in the UK was founded in 1992 as the Domestic Violence Project (DVP)/Family Life Skills. Since then, CPT’s services have expanded to incorporate a large range of therapeutic services such as crisis and longer term issues of relationship patterns, abuse, marital breakdown, family violence, substance abuse and addictions as well as offering services to companies and corporate counselling in conflict management and assertiveness training.

Agnes comments: I firmly believe that action learning can play a key role in helping individuals and communities to change and our affiliation with GULL will enable the CPT network to recognize the significant outcomes of social action. For example, CPT’s presence on the committee of Brent's Domestic Violence Forum in London enabled CPT to engage with local initiatives and our organization produced the first handbook for professionals working with domestic violence in London. CPT believes that it is possible for people with serious personality issues including perpetrators of domestic violence to change and this belief has now been validated by magistrates, Town Council Officials, members of the housing department and many other professionals. CPT is active in government-led initiatives as well as conferences held by care agencies and forums. CPT currently sits on Hammersmith & Fulham Domestic Violence Forum and is part of a multi-disciplinary early-response team in the borough, recognised for its effective procedures to meet the needs of abused persons. Partnering in the community has meant increased relationship with churches too. Gradual, sustained change within the people who have worked with CPT has encouraged churches throughout London and over a 150-mile radius to use us as a resource; to identify, work with and facilitate reconciliation and healing where the are difficulties which are beyond their remit. The affiliation with GULL will enable us to recognize these advances in the challenging social and community environments in which we work.

(Photo) Agnes Sullivan

 
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