CBC Lite Sections News • Canada • Nova Scotia ‘In survival mode': New project aims to support gender-based violence service providers Celina Aalders | CBC News | Posted: January 25, 2026 10:00 AM | Last Updated: 2 hours ago More people leaving sector since pandemic due to stress and trauma, advocate says Image | Kristina Fifield Caption: Kristina Fifield is a registered social worker and trauma therapist who will facilitate the 'You Matter' sessions. (Robert Short/CBC) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab As gender-based violence organizations and shelters in Nova Scotia grapple with rising demand, a new wellness project is offering service providers the chance to focus on their own well-being. The “You Matter” initiative will offer virtual biweekly support sessions, set to begin in the coming weeks, to help people working across the sector cope with burnout, vicarious trauma and emotional strain. “They are first responders a lot of the time to horrific and awful situations,” said Sue Bookchin, executive director of Be the Peace Institute, a non-profit group that works to end gender-based violence in Nova Scotia. “Nobody wants to bring that stuff home at the end of the day, and yet most people do.” * N.S. declared intimate partner violence an epidemic one year ago. What's changed? * 'Throwing money at Band-Aids': Advocates tell N.S. government to do more on gender-based violence Funded by a $25,000 grant from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, it’s being led by Be the Peace, and facilitated by registered social worker and trauma therapist Kristina Fifield. Bookchin said more people have been leaving the sector, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, because organizations that support survivors of gender-based violence in Nova Scotia are “stretched to [their] limits.” “Organizations are in survival mode. The people who work in organizations are in survival mode,” she said. “This is really about building the individual resilience in people to deal with the conditions that are out there.” Image | Sue Bookchin Caption: Sue Bookchin is executive director of Be the Peace Institute, a non-profit group that works to end gender-based violence in Nova Scotia. (Submitted by Sue Bookchin) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab The sessions are open to anyone working in the sector, from front-line staff like social workers and counsellors, to managers and administrators. Fifield, who spent more than a decade working in transition houses before becoming a trauma therapist in the private sector, said the sessions will entail a mix of self-care practices, including mindfulness, reflection, movement, connecting with nature and group discussions. An educational component will also explore the different ways people respond to repeated exposure to trauma, and outline practical coping mechanisms that can be implemented into their daily lives. “People have not left this work not because they don’t like the work,” said Fifield. “It’s just they’re not getting the proper support and resources. * After spate of intimate partner violence, N.S. announces $24M for transition houses * N.S. court program looks to counselling to stop domestic violence Fifield and Bookchin both pointed to the high cost of therapy and specialized mental health care, particularly for those without health benefits. The sessions will be held virtually, with the goal of expanding to some in-person offerings, to ensure they’re easily accessible to service providers across the province, including those in rural communities. “[We’re] trying to build a community of support and practices to help individuals that are navigating the complexities of doing this really difficult work,” said Fifield. “There’s not enough attention on the impacts of being exposed to the suffering and the violence that we’re witnessing.” MORE TOP STORIES * Parks Canada shuttering Historic Places website, sparking heritage concerns * These N.S. volunteer firefighters have found themselves on the frontlines of climate change * Nova Scotia Power asks customers to conserve energy due to cold snap * Conservationists warn DFO facility closures could risk future of endangered salmon * Kentville business community throws support behind homeless shelter at public meeting More Stories Like This The related links below are generated automatically based on the story you’ve just read. 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