It is critical that we keep survivors at the forefront of our work at The Centre.

Stories told by those who have lived experience of violence-related brain injury.

These stories have been gathered to include those voices and help service providers gain insight into their clients’ experiences and a deeper understanding of their needs so they may better assist them. 

Personal stories are an important way to give survivors an opportunity to know they are not alone. Both IPV and TBI can be extremely isolating conditions, and it is our hope that these stories give survivors a sense of community and sisterhood.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can become involved in ongoing projects happening at the Centre or just to connect with a member of our team, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Asha

Asha identifies as a bisexual, South Asian/British woman in her 50s. She is married with a son and is an activist committed to creating a better future for both women and men.

Sharon

Sharon identifies as a white, pansexual, 44-year-old non-binary individual and a proud parent. Sharon advocates for compassion and understanding regarding IPV-related brain injuries and is committed to fostering healthy relationships.

  • “It is really helpful to know that your support people understand what is happening in your life. Having a worker who knows about traumatic brain injury and how that changes things for me is great, especially when they can give me tricks to help with remembering appointments.”
    Survivor

New Services Available for Survivors Across Canada

Canada has been leading the way in developing and offering new services specially created to support survivors of IPV-BI. We are pleased to highlight them here, fostering connection and building capacity across the country. For more information about these programs please click on the link beneath the information.

For a more complete list of survivor services available for every province in Canada, please visit the ABI Toolkit’s Resource Library:

The Cridge Centre for the Family

The Cridge IPV-BI Direct Services program supports women in the community who are living with a brain injury resulting from intimate partner violence. It provides individualized, wrap-around support alongside existing IPV services to help women strengthen daily living skills through compensatory strategies. Supports may include assistance with executive functioning, medical appointments, fatigue management, and home organization, all tailored to each woman’s needs and capacity.

Ontario Brain Injury Association

Designed for adults who have experienced gender-based violence and brain injury, the Life After Impact program includes an online training program, a peer-led support group, a psychoeducational group, and one-one-one supports (vocational rehabilitation, occupational therapy, social work). Through a compassionate, empowering, and trauma-informed approach, clients are supported in working toward financial independence, strengthening their autonomy, and enhancing the overall quality of their lives. *Please note that the program is available to residents of Ontario.