No-Cost Therapy for Survivors

Offering free counseling and case management for survivors of domestic abuse.

The Domestic Violence Support Center

In 1998, House of Ruth opened the Domestic Violence Support Center (DVSC) and began providing crisis intervention and mental health assistance to women and children affected by domestic violence. Today, the center provides counseling, as well as tools for growth, healing and problem-solving to roughly 400 individuals each year.

House of Ruth acknowledges the vital role that strong and stable mental health plays in the fight against domestic violence. DVSC provides survivors with free, confidential and effective therapy.

Through the DVSC, professional counselors, trained in helping people heal from trauma, help participants determine their options and achieve safe, stable lives, free from violence and other forms of abuse.

Learn more about our Impact

DVSC Provides Two Types of Therapy

  • Individual Counseling: Trained professionals provide confidential, one-on-one counseling, which helps participants who are (or have been) victims of domestic violence to begin the healing process.
  • Case Management Services: Alongside trained professionals, participants work to develop individualized plans that focus on their immediate safety, mental health and addressing related issues. Counselors also help participants access critical resources for housing, employment, education and training, child care, legal issues, budgeting and safety planning.

 

For more information and to set up an initial conversation, call the Support Center at 202-667-7001 ext. 515.

Looking to begin therapy with DVSC? Learn how to here

DVSC’s Guiding Principles:

  • Establish an ongoing therapeutic relationship with each participant in order to make positive change possible.
  • Interactions are caring, consistent, respectful and responsive.
  • Support every participant and capitalize on their strengths to achieve their individualized outcomes: stable housing, trauma recovery, mental health, substance use recovery, employment and abuse-free relationships.
  • Develop the most effective interventions and carry them out with the highest ethical standards.
  • Provide an environment that is nurturing, consistent, structured and safe.