The course was great. Very informative but delivered in a manner that made the serious content easy to handle. All three course leaders were knowledgeable, relatable and supportive.
I would recommend this course 100%.
The training was brilliant, I thought I have worked in DVA for years and I have just realised how little I actually knew. I enjoyed every single day.
Chris you should be on the stage I have never laughed so much my ribs were hurting by the end. You have a so much knowledge I intend to pick your brains from this day forth.
Thank you, Christine, Dawn and Nina.
What brilliant training delivered so well, really enjoyed it. I will look forward to doing it with my colleague who has already done the training with you.
Thank you all so much, you do an amazing job! You're fab role models, I'm really grateful to have met you all.
Thank you it was fantastic training and a lovely set of facilitators 😊
I would firstly like to say thank you and the team for a very informative freedom program course I can assure that I will put all the knowledge I have gain to become a successful facilitator.
Thank you so much for the training, I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Some of it was difficult for me and negative memories ran down my cheeks, but at the same time, I've been so lucky to change my situation and have been blessed with an amazing man who's helped me gain my confidence back and be me again, I'm now grateful for my past life experiences, as they were lessons.
I've also gained this week, lots of great advice/ information and material, so I can go onto helping others to recognise abusive behaviours, hopefully they won't feel so alone in their journey.
The training was really good and informative and very engaging. I do believe the training will help me become more confident in facilitating the training come September.
The training was easy to follow, and the activities were thought provoking and useful to use with women to enhance engagement and allow them to share their experiences and converse.
You 3 are amazing facilitators and made the training soo much easier to learn the information and different ways to communicate the traits of Dominator and Friend.
Thanks so much for the training and I wish you all the best!
I have just completed the 3-day Facilitator Training and wanted to thank the 3 of you and say how much I enjoyed the way in which you delivered the training.
Although I have completed the Freedom Programme twice in the past, read the books and completed other courses, I still learnt so much about domestic abuse in general, as well as how to facilitate the programme sessions.
I believe this to be in part due to the fact that I consider we are always constantly learning, but also because the group I was in was made to feel so comfortable that we all spoke freely and wanted to share our knowledge.
Role playing can be off-putting sometimes but speaking in the voice of different people (survivor, child, perpetrator etc.), I believe made us listen and think more deeply.
Overall, a great course with fantastic instructors!
I loved the training, was very easy and relaxed despite the sensitive nature of the discussions.
It was great to have the breaks every hour, just to stretch the aul bones.
I think the workbook, videos and cards are easy to understand so will be a great learning tool for the ladies we work with.
The three of you all have a lovely relationship, jokes, sharing of information and this contributes positively to the learning environment. I’m eager to put it into practice.
I am interested in the Forever Freedom training and the Freedom Programme for the primary school age children/ teenagers so I will keep an eye on your training calendar.
I really did enjoy the training. I liked the relaxed and fun way the training was given.
I would be very interested in the Freedom Forever programme in the future.
I will let the childcare manager know about the Freedom Programme for primary school children.
Thanks again Chris, Nina and Dawn.
Thanks, Chris, for the fab training!
All three of you were so encouraging, knowledgeable, and inspiring!
All so good at acting the role of the dominator! I was so engaged!
Great mix of listening and interacting and made everyone feel comfortable.
Thanks to you all 😊
What an amazing three days! Chris, Nina and Dawn have been fantastic. I have learnt so much and I am really looking forward to facilitating Freedom in the very near future.
It honestly has been one of the best training experiences I have had (and I have completed a lot of training in my 30 plus year career)! You were all so warm, welcoming, friendly and kind as well as being knowledgeable and able to impart so many examples and scenarios which really helps to bring the programme to life.
Any women or children that have been supported by any of you have been very lucky indeed.
Thank you very much for the great training you provided. It was extremely beneficial and easy to understand. I feel more confident now in delivering the program to the service users at the children's centre.
I will be using all the tips that you mentioned. It has been great getting to know you and benefiting from your experience. You are the right people on the right place.
It was a fantastic experience and understanding during my experience with you all I’m so grateful for being part of the training - thanks again
Also, please can you send me some information about the Freedom Programme in primary schools
Thanks for everything. You ladies were absolutely awesome, lovely, kind, knowledgeable beyond belief, and completely nuts!!
I had the best time and can honestly say that your humour made it all so much better!
No feedback necessary, keep doing what you’re doing, it was fantastic!
Absolutely fantastic training as always. Really enjoyed the whole three days and still taken lots away for delivery.
Thanking you both for such an insightful past three training days. I have learnt so much about the dominator and found it so interesting.
Something for me to ponder. Fabulous 3 days and time well spent. Thank you so much.
Absolutely fantastic training as always. Really enjoyed the whole three days and still taken lots away for delivery.
Thanking you both for such an insightful past three training days. I have learnt so much about the dominator and found it so interesting.
Something for me to ponder. Fabulous 3 days and time well spent. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much for the training the last few days. I have been working in children's social care for 10 years and I am only just transitioning over to working with adults / parents in family assessments, so this has been a real eye opener for me.
Your programme is such a life changer/saver and so refreshing for so many people. I cannot wait to speak to my friends, work colleagues and the young people I will be working with regarding the ongoing problems women and children face.
I even could relate my horrible ex-boyfriend to multiple sections of the dominator, and it is so nice to see it is not me or my fault for how it ended or how he behaved during the relationship.
I can see how you both change so many people’s lives. I do think every woman should take part in the Freedom Programme, as it is so easy to accept red flags which we don’t think are an issue or will affect us in our future.
I really enjoyed It being on zoom rather than face to face. I felt comfortable and could pick up on the information and other peoples’ contributions more. I am feeling ready and more motivated for my support groups to start in September.
I have always looked at it from the child’s perspective and I have found it so interesting so see the effects of domestic violence on the mother / woman. Some of the case stories, albeit very, very sad , It really put into perspective how hard it must be for them.
I wanted to send some feedback whilst the training was fresh in my mind. I found the training very informative and a good refresher as I have worked in domestic and sexual violence previously.
I have found listening to the wonderful work you do has made me question if working in general counselling is still right for me or I should return to DV and SV.
I think we are all quick to judge parents who appear to be failing their children, especially through neglect, but hearing this side has definitely changed my views for the future
I thought Freedom Forever was great.
I loved the budgeting support and 'practical' elements of it as I know how useful these will be.
I found Claire and Sarah's Law really useful as I had never heard of these either.
Thank you so much for the two day training, it was very useful. I think the training was particularly useful to myself after only completing the Freedom Facilitator training just over two weeks ago. This meant that the information was fresh in my mind and also helped me link information back to the original freedom programme. I also really like how all of the programmes focus on the empowerment of women and the importance of recognising women in their own right. I think a lot of these sessions will be applicable to a lot of the families I am supporting.
I really enjoyed the course. I thought it was so informative and engaging, it's really hard to engage people on Zoom calls for a few hours let alone 3 days so thank you for that! Like Kelly said at the end of the call today, as someone who is completely new to domestic abuse situations, each session was delivered in such a way that I was learning so much but it wasn't too overpowering. There were sections of the training where I could feel myself getting upset but I just think that’s down to the fact that the work is generally upsetting and I am not used to hearing some of the stories.
The course was a fantastic follow on from the Freedom Programme and I am genuinely looking forward to using it with my groups : ) It's so accessible and informative - really enjoyed it.
I just wanted to say thankyou for the training over the last 3 days. I feel you both delivered the session well and made me feel relaxed and able to speak freely.
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and expertise 
Trainers were very engaging clear and concise. Course delivered with care compassion and courtesy to the trainees.
Training content was excellent very informative lots of content and more.
The trainers were really engaging and created a friendly and confident environment, even over Zoom! I found that I could participate in the sessions and felt that my feedback was appreciated.
Chris and Nina were very knowledgeable and skilled. There life experiences and examples anonymised of scenarios bought the subject matter to life. The blend of both personalities worked perfectly. They used humour appropriately and different methods to engage the participants in difficult subject matter. The role play in person was outstanding and bought the subject matter to life.
The training was very useful, aside from the plan to facilitate the course at our Turning Point hub. I’m already thinking about how I can use the session content in some of my one-to-one sessions with vulnerable clients. Despite the obviously emotive content, the course was uplifting and positive and will really help develop the service we provide in the community. Thanks again Chris and Nina.
The training was very relevant. As a refuge worker that has participated in the Freedom Programme previously, I feel I have learnt a lot and am now confident to talk more in the sessions and answer any questions individuals may have. I feel I understand the programme more in depth than I previously did. I particularly thought the ‘Persuader’ was relevant to my job role as it applies to many of the survivors I support and is a subject they find hard to understand.
The trainers were great and gave good clear examples which were relevant and thought provoking. Trainers were very knowledgeable and supportive.
Very useful and easy to follow, everything flowed seamlessly, and it was delivered by two excellent trainers, I will be recommending this training to my line manager, and others that will be joining Gorwel in future, thank you very much
I found the content very useful; the material was not overbearing and it was precise. I look forward to completing the one to one and the men’s programme.
I loved the way the training included the format of each session, online sessions and in person sessions. The Freedom Programme website was also covered which was relevant so it can be utilised via the delivery.
The training was very relevant to my post as I work within the Safe Guarding Children’s team. I can utilise this course to be able to engage with the young people I work with using resources advised It has also made me more aware of my own personal situation
Both the trainers were really engaging. They made sure to include everyone and split the day up with breaks to ensure engagement was maintained throughout
The training content was very useful in helping me to prepare to run my first freedom programme group.
The trainers were very engaging and were very sensitive to the experiences of all participants. Nina and Christine did not make anyone feel pressured to participate.
As I work in safeguarding children within the child protection setting the training is very relevant to my role.
I found the training very engaging. The trainers spoke about examples which was easy to understand and were able to answer any questions. They also included everyone when asking for examples and explaining if anyone was not sure of anything.
The content was very useful as it included information I was not aware of before. Some aspects of ‘Impacts of the Children’ were quite intense but very useful. As a worker that does not work directly with children, I feel I can empathise and understand with women attending the Freedom Programme.
The training is very useful as I can now use it when working with families. I thought that adopting the role of the perpetrator and victim really helped to understand the different perspectives of those affected by domestic abuse.
The trainers were great, I am one of those people who would find myself dozing off in the middle of a training but there was no chance of it with Christine and Nina. These ladies were full of life and made the course very interesting.
The trainers were very thoughtful and friendly. Engaged well with each person and did not push the participant to speak out if they did not want too. Both Chris and Nina made the course relaxing and comfortable as well as enjoyable
The trainers were brilliant, and delivered the training in an interesting and knowledgeable form, they made me feel at ease, and were so encouraging when I was nervous about contributing to some of the answers, thank you
Very relevant to the work I am involved in. It will help as I manage a team to and work with victims and share the resources provided.
All of the content was relevant. I enjoyed the role play as it does help you think deeper and be more aware of the content being taught
The scope of the training was excellent. Perhaps an awful lot to process in three days consecutively. It enlightened me to so much more and refreshed my knowledge.
I certainly feel that as a service along with another person I could consider facilitating a group now. The continued access to advise via email if we have questions or hurdles with the first run certainly feels supportive and reassuring
Both trainers were very engaging, not an easy task facilitating training online. They worked well together and the flow and pace were great.
All content was relevant to be able to run a program, it was great to have tips and practical advice of how to run a group.
19.06.21
Hi Pat,
I wanted to email you to let you know that I think the Freedom Programme that you developed is fabulous.
I attended the training last week and think the way that the programme helps parents to talk about their experiences by talking from the perspectives of others is brilliant.
I'd heard of the Freedom Programme before and heard parents saying how it had helped them, but I didn't understand how it was delivered. I can now see how it will really help them to move forward in accepting, acknowledging and recognising what is happening to them and make changes for the better.
18.06.21
Hi Chris.
Thank you so much for the last three days, I've enjoyed this more than any training I have ever done before- even though it was over zoom and not in person,
I thought our group dynamic was excellent and everyone was comfortable enough to be very open and honest-
I will actually miss all of them too, it is amazing how well you can get on with people through a screen in three days and I think this is massively down to you and Nina
and how you empowered us to have a go, particularly during the role play and talking in role.
Some of the content is really tough- the impact on children in particular today but it was so necessary and has really fired me up, more so than I am already about helping the families we work with.
Dear Christine, I just wanted to thank you and the other facilitators for the best course ever!
From the booking onto the course, receiving documents, getting onto zoom, your management of the zoom calls to the information presented it was all outstanding. The sharing experiences, whilst difficult to hear helped to understand the magnitude the impact of abuse has on families. I was grateful for their bravery.
I can honestly say I really enjoyed everything about the course and left feeling emotionally exhausted but inspired to offer support to those that need it in our area.
I have had supervision this morning with one of my team, who also attended the training and she is very keen to attend more training as part of her professional development,
but more importantly to be able to offer support for our families in an area where it is pretty non-existent. Thank you again
Thank you so much, I couldn't even begin to describe what this programme has done for me in the past as a survivor, helping me find myself again and now as a professional. I hope to be able to support women and children to make positive changes in their lives too.
Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to you all for the Freedom Programme training last week. The training not only helped in building my own knowledge and confidence but instantly assisted me in my line of work; supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged women with multiple and complex needs.
I would like to thank you all so much for delivering the course. I found it really powerful and emotive but fun at the same time and I was able to see how effective the freedom course will be. The online materials were a great asset and easy to follow moving forward as a facilitator.
I began delivering the course yesterday. I delivered two online courses with a colleague who is also freedom trained and I'm pleased to say both went very well. I am looking forward to delivering the rest of the programme.
I found the training was emotionally draining due to the sensitive topics, I was shattered in the evenings and if the trainers were boring and bland it would have been hard for me to push through each day. The banter, jokes and random swearing kept me going ,I can't tell you some of the visions I had in my head lol.
I'm glad I had those strong physical and mental emotions as its helps me to understand how drained and emotionally tiring it must be for ladies accessing the course and I know I need to step up my game in order to lift them so I hopefully see them again the following week and so on …..
OMG the training was fantastic, we all want to spend a day with Chris , laughing as I am typing this. Will definitely be on the next training.
Thank you, I thoroughly enjoyed the training, a lot more than I thought I would. It was very powerful and inspiring
I loved the realness of the training and the fact we were all encouraged to express ourselves without fear of judgement, it felt like a safe space.
I would like to thank you all for an amazing 3 days of Freedom training. You deliver the program in an awesome way, safe, comfortable and you are all very inspiring.
I just want to write and say Thank you for the simply amazing training programme for the amazing Freedom Programme.
I want to say that I had a lovely time, but that just isn't right.
Much as I thought I was objective and knew so much about this field, I felt so much more empowered and knowledgeable by the end of this course.
I felt human and not only human, but a human worthy of taking up space in this world.
I hope that I will make you proud, and I cannot wait to get on the job (listen out for 'woman does Freedom programme from bus stop' ).
I laughed till my sides ached, I learned a new song, (which I of course went straight to my piano and played), I cried a tear or two, and I learned a lifetime of information, but especially - how to help other women and lift them up to their rightful place in the most amazing way.
I just wanted to say thank you to yourself and all of the trainers the last 3 days have been amazing and I got so much out of it. I look forward to working with you all in the future and once funding allows I'm sure you'll see us on the other courses :-)
Thank you so much Chris. That was without a doubt one of the best pieces of training I've ever done. Really looking forward to completing the Children's course in May.
I just wanted to thank you for this training. It`s been the best, most interesting and mainly powerful training I`ve ever been on and that`s mainly because of the way you and the co-facilitators bring it. It`s such a heavy subject to talk about, let alone be in training for 3 days, but the way you do it makes it an absolute pleasure to be in. I`ve learned so much about how to support women when facilitating the Freedom Programme, but also outside of that.
I wasn't looking forward to Zoom training at first, but you have really nailed it. I think it`s very impressive how you manage to keep 30 people`s attention and interest for 3 days straight, I even felt a little sad when it was over. It`s so empowering to have all these women together in a virtual space, leaning about how we can support other women. And minor detail, but I really liked the 10 minute break every hour. This made it so much easier to keep my head in the training!
Thank you so much for the Freedom Training last week, you made a very difficult, emotive subject very thought provoking but on the other hand fun and very engaging, I really enjoyed it, if that's the right terminology to use.
The use of animations was a good use of resources.
It has also shown a need for the team to have a team day to ensure that we share some of what was learn and some resources purchased.