“Sometimes I’d feel like I didn’t belong in the setting because my husband wasn’t physically violent. But then there was the sick realisation of sitting in the room and realising ‘I do belong here.’ It was incredibly confronting, but incredibly beneficial, because you can’t process and get resolution on things that you haven’t recognised for what they are.”
After a childhood full of violence, by her early 20's, Monica found herself angry, homeless and in a violent relationship. She wanted a change, so she contacted Aviva.
You may never have heard of it, but as many as five percent of New Zealanders are all too familiar with the harm caused by image-based sexual abuse. Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is defined as the non-consensual sharing of private sexual materials, or threat of doing so.
Have you ever watched a lip-sync battle and wished you could give it a go yourself? Or is there a music video that you’ve always been obsessed with and wanted to emulate? Now you can.
“I saw this lovely lady. She was comforting and made me feel like a person. She also never judged my situation, which started to give me hope that there are good people out there wanting to help.”
Hayley came to The Loft looking for support with mental health difficulties and changing her benefits. She did not come looking for family or sexual violence services, but when she found Aviva, she realised it was exactly what she needed.
