Laura's House Experts Present Innovative Programs for both Adults and Teens at Leading National Domestic Violence Conference

    LADERA RANCH, CA, October 27, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Experts from the prominent Southern California domestic violence nonprofit Laura's House recently presented two promising programs at the eighth biennial National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence (NCHDV), which focused on the intersections of health along with domestic and sexual violence.

Adam Dodge, Laura's House legal director, and Amanda Thoreson, clinical coordinator, of the Laura's House legal team, presented an innovative anxiety-reduction therapy program to address the mental health needs of survivors who must face their abusers during restraining order hearings. To alleviate their emotional and mental distress, the Laura's House legal team has woven proven anxiety-reduction techniques into its client preparation protocol, including deep breathing, grounding, tapping, and guided meditation facilitated by the app Headspace, which generously donated subscriptions valued at $54,000 to Laura's House clients. Based on a survey of 54 clients, more than half reported decreased anxiety in the courthouse setting.

Jennifer Ponce, manager of the Laura's House Prevention and Education Department, presented Healthy Emotions & Attitudes in Relationships Today (H.E.A.R.T), an interactive program created to prevent adolescent dating abuse and bullying. In 2016, Laura's House staff presented 204 workshops to 11,500 teens at schools, congregations, civic organizations and clubs throughout Orange County and surrounding Southern California counties. The H.E.A.R.T. program also includes a website providing teens with easy-to-access information, resources and referrals to encourage healthy relationships. Additionally, the website provides support to those currently in abusive relationships and connects them through the Heart Chat Line (email) and the Heart Health Line (phone/skype) to experienced domestic violence advocates and professional therapists. The successful program has been growing in size each year.

Laura's House expects to reach an increased number of teens in the upcoming years as Governor Jerry Brown signed bill AB 643 on Oct. 7, which adds instruction on recognizing early warning signs of abusive relationships to sexual health education at California public schools for grades 7-12.

Hosted every two years, the NCHDV unites more than 1,200 medical, public health and family violence experts from across the U.S and aims to advance the health care system's response to domestic violence by introducing the most recent research and promising clinical, advocacy and public health responses to domestic and sexual violence.

About Laura's House

The mission of Laura's House is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

Over the past 23 years, Laura's House has provided shelter and support services to nearly 5,000 abused men, women and children and 24-hour crisis intervention, counseling, life skills education, and legal assistance to nearly 55,000 people. Connect with Laura's House on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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