A NEW community interest company is providing support to women who have previously been involved in a controlling or abusive relationship.

More Positive Me is an organisation that offers a range of coping strategies and behavioural tools delivered through a specialist course and up to 12 months follow-on support.

The 12-week Pattern Changing Course, comprising two hour weekly sessions, will be held at venues across the Devon area with the first two courses being held in Okehampton and Newton Abbot in late April.

Director and course facilitator Jeanette Brown said: ‘Our courses will support those who have now left an unhealthy relationship where they will have been controlled or abused, emotionally or physically. This can leave individuals feeling isolated, with poor self esteem and vulnerable to repeating the same types of behaviours in future relationships.

‘During the course our highly experienced team of facilitators will work to pull together individual understanding of past relationships and build new skills to move on into a more positive future.’

Julia Ryder, fellow director, said: ‘We are delighted to launch our first courses in the Teignbridge and West Devon areas and to have the support of the South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership. We have already taken several referrals from local support agencies and look forward to helping local women move on with their lives more positively.’

More Positive Me is now taking bookings for courses and more information can be found at www.morepositive.co.uk

Pattern Changing Courses are held in high regard by support services as the benefits include increasing individual confidence, peer support and friendship, lessening feelings of guilt, developing assertive techniques, boundary setting and to build a sense of empowerment.

If you or someone you know is currently in an unhealthy, controlling or abusive relationship, then support is available. Contact Splitz Devon Domestic Abuse Service on 0345 1551074.

For more information please contact Julia Ryder on 07952 956418.