.bancroft and amanda

My first few weeks on the job back in 2008, I attended a conference in Kearney, Nebraska where I heard Lundy Bancroft speak.  I had no previous experience in being an advocate, other than witnessing, what I would have then called dysfunctional relationships amongst myself, family and friends.   After listening to Lundy present, I began to understand just how many tactics abusers use to gain control over their victims.  He greatly inspired me to be a better advocate and to listen to what our clients were saying.  Often times a batterer has convinced his victim that she is crazy and no one will believe her.  I have read his book Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men and I would recommend it to anyone in an abusive relationship or as an outsider trying to gain understanding.

An opportunity came up for and myself and Kristy Beard, Ainsworth Program Director, to attend a national training where Lundy would be speaking all day, I jumped at the chance.  I was able to meet and have a brief conversation with him and have my book signed.   Once again I have returned to my position as an advocate with a renewed perspective of serving and advocating for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Lundy Bancroft is an author, workshop leader, and consultant on domestic abuse and child maltreatment. His work focuses on three areas:  1) Training professionals on best practices for intervening with male perpetrators of violence against women, toward the goal of promoting accountability and requiring change;  2) Training professionals on the dynamics of emotional injury and recovery in children who are exposed to a man who abuses their mother, to prepare participants to offer the most effective and safe assistance possible to children and their mothers;  and 3) Supporting, healing and empowerment for abused women, with an emphasis on advocating for the human rights of mothers and their children.

Lundy is the author of five books in the field, including

Lundy is available as a public speaker and trainer for professionals, and offers weekend retreats for women who have experienced abuse.

Lundy has twenty years of experience specializing in interventions for abusive men and their families. He is a former Co-Director of Emerge, the nation’s first counseling program for men who batter. He has worked with over a thousand abusers directly as an intervention counselor, and has served as clinical supervisor on another thousand cases. He has also served extensively as a custody evaluator, child abuse investigator, and expert witness in domestic violence and child abuse cases. Lundy appears across the United States as a presenter for judges and other court personnel, child protective workers, therapists, law enforcement officials, and other audiences. He is currently working with Patrice Lenowitz on a play about abused women’s experiences with the child custody system, called “Forbidden to Protect.”

I would like to thank the Bright Horizons Board of Directors and Executive Director, Linda Olson, for the opportunity to attend the 10th Annual Crimes against Women in Dallas Texas it was an incredible conference and a great experience.