AHIMSA

We are a specialist programme for perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse. 

Based near Plymouth, we operate primarily throughout the south and South West of England.

We are able to offer the service to any adult who is wanting to change their abusive behaviour and is interested and able to engage in the programme. 

We know it takes courage and commitment to admit to yourself that you have a problem with abusive behaviour and to seek the help that you need to change it. We understand how anxious you are likely to be feeling when you first walk through the door and so want you to be assured that you will always be treated with respect.  Our aim is to support you step by step and help you find the right tools and to develop the internal skills needed, so that you can relate in a non-abusive and more loving way in all your relationships. 

We also support the partners and ex-partners of those who are on the programme, providing them with emotional support, information and safety advice.

We can support individuals in a heterosexual, gay, lesbian or transgender relationship, whether the perpetrator is male, female or non binary. 

We are a small team with multi-disciplinary backgrounds and many years' experience in the field of domestic violence and child abuse. Staff act as consultants in the field, and have been commissioned by many UK and overseas organisations to design and deliver initiatives in various aspects of domestic violence intervention, including risk assessment.

In light of the chronic problems associated with traditional psychological and psychiatric approaches to risk assessment in cases involving family violence, the shortcomings of psychometric testing, and the absence of reliable standardised risk assessment instruments for this population, the agency has developed a structured professional research-based risk assessment protocol for use in family law proceedings, in which we have acted as expert witnesses for nearly twenty years.

We have extensive clinical experience of working with men (both individually and in groups) with histories of violent and abusive behaviours (this has included domestic homicide offenders on life licence, and sex offenders, both in community and prison settings). Our practice also involves working for change with violent women, supporting both male and female victims of domestic abuse, and working with violent and abusive parents. We have also developed a therapeutic approach to working with mothers to enhance their ability to protect their children.

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