GHBU Counseling Degree Program Addresses Relationship Abuse:
Learn Insights & Tools To Ending Abusive Relationships
Great Bay- The World Health Organization (WHO) states on its website: “Violence against women tends to increase in any emergency, including epidemics. Stress, disruption of social and protective networks, increased economic hardship and decreased access to services can exacerbate the risk of women suffering violence.” This statement has been verified by The Sint Maarten Police Force which is concerned about the increase in the number of reports of domestic and family violence since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 2020.
In a 2020 interview with Loop Caribbean News, “The police force warned that persons choosing to engage in abusive actions will be held accountable for their actions.” They indicated, “…it is evident that an increase in community awareness is needed in order to bring this abusive behavior to a drastic halt.”
In light of the growing trend of domestic violence and abuse on St. Maarten and around the world, Grace Hill Bible University (GHBU), St. Maarten Campus, developed the course: Counseling Couples: New Insights into Ending Abusive Relationships to assist aspiring counselors and/or counselors to effectively treat couples in violent and/or abusive relationships.
The Master’s Level course is designed by Master Therapist, Dr. N. Erna Mae Francis Cotton, visionary of Victorious Living Foundation. Francis Cotton, a therapist for over 20 years is co-developer of the University of the West Indies BSc. in Social Work Dying, Death, and Bereavement course. She is also a member of Bristol Who’s Who, a New York City-based premier international registry and networking forum dedicated to aggregating and honouring top professionals, executives, and business owners of organizations, businesses, and associations throughout the world.
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
Identify emotional abuse and how to find the roots of their clients’ behaviour.
Gain new insights into ending abusive relationships discovered through years of research by Neil Jacobson, Ph.D. and John Gottman, Ph.D. regarding varying types of batterers, why they batter and how to end the cycle of relationship violence.
Create a treatment program for couples in abusive relationships.
Understand emotional abuse.
Know how to recognize patterns of abuse.
Understand and recognize the patterns of abuse that begin in childhood.
Know the action steps for those being abused.
Know how to advise a client whose partner has a Personality Disorder.
Know when the abusiveness stems from a partner’s Personality Disorder and more.
Enrollment for the course is currently open; starts on February 21st and runs for 15 weeks. To inquire about the course and/or to enroll, you may contact Grace Hill Bible University, St. Maarten campus at +1721524-8731 or email: dr.nfranciscotton@gmail.com.
