Page 20 - Community Living Magazine 35-2

therapy
Therapy and advocacy together

Lockdown meant that Respond, which supports people with learning disabilities who have
experienced abuse or trauma, had to change how it worked. This had some surprising results,
say Lynne Tooze and Sonia Antoniazzi, including bringing advocacy and therapy closer

here was an overwhelming desire at the playing field. One autistic client, They are targeted by unscrupulous and
Respond to ensure that as much who is usually very isolated, said she felt abusive people as they are less likely to
Tsupport as possible – whether by part of life more than ever as everyone report, less likely to be believed, more
continuing therapy, emotional support or was isolating. likely to be ignored or the crime
advocacy – could be offered when the More funding became available for underplayed and are less likely to have
country went into lockdown. short-term support and work for victims access to justice.
Respond supports people with learning of domestic and sexual violence. Respond The belief that autistic people and
disabilities who have experienced was fortunate enough to be able to then people with learning disabilities do
violence abuse or trauma. What offer online therapy sessions for not make credible witnesses is all
difficulties were they facing in their lives individuals and in groups. too pervasive.
because of the pandemic? What is left for them to experience?
Of course, there were concerns around Healing and a journey away from the
providing support. How would clients feel One autistic client, who is harm and injury they have endured. How
about going online and not meeting in can this occur successfully?
person? What issues would they face in usually very isolated, said she Respond’s advocacy team advises
the transition to more digital ways of felt part of life more than ever and supports and acts as independent
supporting and communicating? as everyone was isolating advocates: this can mean acting as an
What new skills were needed by advocate around capacity, human and
therapists and advocates? What new equality rights and justice while also
software could be used or would focusing on solutions to practical issues.
be required? The advocacy team, especially through It is essential to be clear about what can
For most of us working at Respond, it lockdown, supported people across the be done and what the work will involve,
felt overwhelming – so it was certainly the UK. This centred around many issues – which may include advising when a
same for the clients. trafficking, family courts, domestic different advocate or a solicitor from
We found ourselves learning how to violence and sexual exploitation as well as outside is required, as well as being open
make the most of Zoom, Teams and recent and past harms. about what is not possible.
WhatsApp and feeling very out of our The number of people who rang A lot of the work is around containing
comfort zone. We certainly felt concern Respond about problems with hate crime, expectations and being with a person
for our clients, thinking they too would issues with neighbours and concerns for through a journey that is unfortunately
find it all very difficult. family members was notable. likely to be a disappointment –
And then something quite amazing particularly where justice is concerned.
happened. People adapted and carried Standard problems, worse outcomes
on, found they could learn new skills and It remains clear to the staff team at Support and advocacy
learned to communicate in different ways. Respond that people with autism or a There are similarities between emotional
We feel a little nostalgic in a strange learning disability experience all of the support/therapy and advocacy in terms of
way when we think about it, as it sort harms that others do but seemingly containment (making someone feel safe
of brought people together, levelling more frequently. and not out of control) but those
similarities end with the content and
Support includes direction (helping people to focus and
managing think about what they want to do safely in
expectations, for therapy) of the support offered.
example when a Containment and safety for clients who
client sees an access advocacy is based around
abuser receiving an expectations of results and the concept
inadequate prison that positive results will mean justice.
sentence
A perfect example of this is a client
seeing the person who hurt her receiving
an inadequate prison sentence – although Christy Lawrance; Baker131313/Wikimedia Commons
most cases do not even go to court. Given
this, it is essential to do some work on
expectations, what could happen and how
the person will manage this.
Therapy provides an opportunity to
acknowledge and name the emotions the

20 Vol 35 No 2 | Winter 2022 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk