This clinic helps men who use violence. The N.S. mass shooting inquiry says we need their approach

The Peoples' Counselling Clinic is one of only a handful of organizations in Halifax that provide programming to help men who use violence, but an inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting says services like theirs need to be available when people seek support. 

Founded in 2017 as a non-profit, the clinic offers pro bono mental health services and accepts referrals of men accused of violence from a special court that deals with cases of domestic violence. 

The Mass Casualty Commission's investigation into the killing of 22 Nova Scotians noted the abuse the gunman suffered as a child and his history of spousal abuse.

Its final report, which was released at the end of March, offered 130 recommendations. They included a call to promote and support "healthy masculinities" and highlighted the need for intervention and supports for perpetrators of intimate-partner violence.

'I felt hopeless'

One of the clients of the Peoples' Counselling Clinic is a man we'll call Joe, a pseudonym CBC News agreed to use because of the impact identifying him could have on his life.

Joe experienced physical and sexual abuse as a child but never talked about it, because of a macho culture around him. Instead, his feelings of insecurity took over and were sometimes expressed as anger.

Joe hit a low point in 2018 when he was charged with assault after an altercation with a former girlfriend.

"I felt hopeless," he said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

In Joe's case, he was referred to the Peoples' Counselling Clinic by the Halifax Domestic Violence Court after being charged.

"It's a resource that I never knew existed and I was too ashamed to even look for one," the 42-year-old said. 

"It's been helping me process and filter through a lot of my emotions and traumas," he said. "You grow up in that macho world. I was not the one to say, 'hey, I'm broken.'"

He completed a one-year program at the clinic and was granted a discharge.

Joe's struggles are common, according to the commission. Its report noted that men who use violence have often been victimized themselves and that boys and men "are taught to suppress a range of traits such as vulnerability and empathy in order to maintain their status as males."

The commission's report also called for a shift away from approaches involving the criminal justice system and toward a public health prevention approach, including recovery and healing.

Since receiving help, Joe describes himself as a different person. With coping strategies, he has learned to better manage difficult situations. And he still goes to therapy voluntarily.

James Dubé, a registered social worker who is the clinic's manager, said the difference is noticeable. 

"A few years later, I'm dealing with somebody who has owned up for his role in the things he's done wrong," he said.

The first steps came when Joe disclosed the abuse he experienced, acknowledged his own conduct, and took "a good honest look at basically his entire life," Dubé said. 

'We help them heal'

The clinic takes an approach that uses trauma therapy to address the root causes of violence. That's different from more traditional methods that try to teach people what is wrong about what they've done, according to Dubé.

"Most of the people that come to this clinic, whether they're charged or not, know very well that what they've done is wrong and they feel a lot of shame," he said.

With almost every client dealing with some form of historical trauma, the focus is on digging deep into those experiences.

"We help them heal from that," Dubé said.

Robert Wright, the clinic's executive director, testified before the commission. He has many years of experience providing counselling to men, particularly those who have experienced sexual violence.

Wright saw for himself the links between sexual abuse and the most serious crimes during his social work training at Washington State Penitentiary, where he worked with death row inmates.

"If we want to prevent people from creating those kinds of harms, we need to treat them as early as possible for the harms that have been caused to them," he said.

'It does take a lot of courage'

Wright also told the inquiry he knows of boys or men who sought help but were rejected once they opened up about their behaviour.

"Instead of thinking of them as a grown man who perpetrated this harm, think about them as a young child who's in a home where multi-generational abuse occurred," he said.

Even though it's been a difficult journey, Joe says the counselling he's received has led him down a path to recovery. Today, he's rebuilding family relationships that had been neglected and volunteering in the community.

"It does take a lot of courage to get there, to ask for that help," he said. "It's OK to be vulnerable." 

If you are experiencing distress or overwhelming emotions at any time, you can call the Nova Scotia Provincial Crisis Line 24/7 at 1-888-429-8167. The Nova Scotia Provincial Crisis Service can also provide contacts for other crisis services that are available if you live outside Nova Scotia.

If you or someone you know is struggling in any way, you can call 211 or visit 211.ca. 211 offers help 24 hours a day in more than one hundred languages and will be able to connect you directly to the right services for your needs.

The Kids Help Phone is a national helpline that provides confidential support at 1-800-668-6868 or Text CONNECT to 686868.

Additional supports for across Canada are available at www.wellnesstogether.ca.