Rooted restoration: Helping survivors of domestic violence heal through cultural rediscovery
Imagine: you’ve escaped domestic violence and are trying to heal, but starting the process is tough since you don’t know who you are.
It’s a situation counsellor Allison Spak sees every day, and one she’s helping to rectify as a cultural therapy coordinator.
“[I’m] helping women move along in their journey to live healthier lives,” says Spak, who graduated from Red River College’s Applied Counselling program in April, and now works at Wahbung Abinoonjiiag Inc., a domestic violence centre for children and families. The North End facility provides opportunities for holistic healing using culturally appropriate teachings.
“It’s working with Aboriginal women that have lost their culture, [who don’t know] who they are,” Spak explains. “Dealing with the effects of colonization, if you don’t know who you are culturally, these women are kind of lost. So it’s getting them back to their roots, to knowing who they are, to help them on their healing journey. These women want to know who they are.”
In order to help women rediscover their roots, Wahbung uses the traditional knowledge of Aboriginal ancestors, including the Medicine Wheel and the Seven Sacred Teachings.
“There’s the cultural side that the women learn from – giving back to their culture and learning who they are. And then there’s the therapy side, where we give them the tools [to deal with] what’s happened in their lives.” Read More →