In Control/ Out of Control: How can we Relate to Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships?

Join us at the Lisburn Civic Centre on the 7th November 2024 to support the integration of a relational lens and healthy relationships to service provision for professionals in Northern Ireland.

Relate NI’s vision is of a future where healthy relationships are actively promoted as the heart of a thriving society. With the introduction of the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (NI) 2021 seeking to create a statutory definition of domestic abuse to include emotional, coercive or controlling, and economic abuse as a criminal offence, this year we are inviting you to a conference that focuses on healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships. We will have key experts in the field exploring both how to identify out of control relationships, and sustain and support healthy relationships.

By the end of the day, participants will have:

• An understanding of the importance of healthy relationships to improving outcomes for people and families,
• Knowledge of the current policy and legislative context,
• Enhanced their skills & received a certificate in working on a range of relational issues.

Thank you to our Conference Sponsor, Clarke & Co. Accountants.

Please note- if you would like to pay for your ticket via invoice, please call Relate NI on 028 9032 3454 or email caramcveigh@relateni.org. 

Meet our Keynote Speaker

Marcella Leonard, Director of Leonard Consultancy

Marcella has 30 years’ experience in the areas of psychosexual therapy, child and public protection. Marcella is a highly regarded trainer in assisting practitioners in assessing and managing sexual and violent risk to children. Marcella will discuss the challenges coercive control behaviour raises for victims in describing the nuances of it to professionals for them to understand the severity of the harm, so appropriate action can be taken. The nature of coercive control is not fully understood and the unique modus operandi of each person who engages in this behaviour must be analysed in order for early warning signs and protective planning to be effective. Marcella, through family experience, will discuss the complexity for a victim of coercive control to be heard and how the professional system needs to effectively respond from a whole family approach.