Rise and Reclaim

Domestic and family violence can have a lasting impact on financial independence, employment, housing stability, debt, and long-term security. In this episode, we explore what financial recovery looks like, hearing from Tracey, a victim-survivor who rebuilt her financial life after DFV, and Jackie, a financial counsellor at Brisbane Domestic Violence Service who works closely with people navigating financial recovery every day. Whether you're currently rebuilding or supporting someone through that journey, this episode offers practical ideas, experience, and reassurance that financial recovery happens step by step. This podcast is proudly brought to you by Verdella, an online domestic and family violence recovery programme designed to help victim-survivors rebuild in practical, meaningful ways. Verdella is available through licensing partnerships with employers and community service organisations. Learn more at verdella.com.au. In This Episode Tracey's story of fleeing with her five children, navigating homelessness, and rebuilding from nothing Practical, everyday budgeting tips for getting back on your feet Jackie's insight into financial abuse, common early steps to regain control, and the mindset shifts that support long-term recovery A real case study of a woman who had $50,000 in coerced debt removed from her name Resources Mentioned in This Episode Please note: Several services mentioned in this episode are Queensland-based. If you're outside Queensland, contact 1800RESPECT (below) to be connected with your local equivalent. Immediate Support 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au | Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week DVConnect Womensline (QLD): 1800 811 811 | dvconnect.org | Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Home Furnishing Support RizeUp Australia: rizeup.com.au | Donations: rizeup.com.au/donation | Referred through specialist DFV services Financial Support Payments Update since recording: This episode refers to the Escaping Violence Payment. That trial has now ended. From 1 July 2025, it has been replaced by the Leaving Violence Program , which offers similar financial and support assistance to people leaving intimate partner violence. Leaving Violence Program: 1800 253 283 (1800 2 LEAVE) | leavingviolenceprogram.org.au Centrelink Crisis Payment: Contact Centrelink or ask for a social worker referral | A one-off payment for people experiencing extreme circumstances, including domestic and family violence. Available up to four times in a 12-month period. Centrelink & Social Security Advocacy Basic Rights Queensland (BRQ): 1800 358 511 | brq.org.au | Free, state-wide advice, advocacy and legal services for Centrelink and social security issues Debt & Fines Relief Linkt Family Violence Support: Contact Linkt directly and advise you're impacted by DFV | To discuss waiving toll debt incurred by a perpetrator SPER (State Penalty Enforcement Registry, QLD): sper.qld.gov.au | Dedicated family violence contact line for reviewing fines and penalty debts incurred as a result of a perpetrator's actions Credit Report Corrections If you're impacted by family violence, you have the right under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to request a correction to inaccurate, outdated, or unfairly listed information on your credit file, including coerced debt. Equifax: 1300 762 207 | equifax.com.au Experian: 1300 784 134 | experian.com.au Tip from this episode: request a free copy of your credit report from each bureau, review it for anything you don't recognise or agree with, and if you've been financially impacted by DFV, contact the bureau directly to discuss your options. Housing & Tenancy Tenants Queensland: 1300 744 263 | tenantsqld.org.au | Free tenancy advice for Queensland renters No-Interest Loans Good Shepherd - No Interest Loans (NILS): goodshep.org.au | No-interest loans for essential items such as whitegoods, and support with rental bonds Utility & Essential Services Hardship Contact your energy, water, and telecommunications providers directly and ask about their family violence hardship policy . All major providers are required to offer trauma-informed support in this area. If you're not getting the support you need, the relevant industry ombudsman can help escalate your case. A note for listeners: This episode covers topics related to domestic and family violence and its emotional and psychological impact. Please take care of yourself as you listen. If anything comes up for you, support is available. 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au | Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week About Verdella: Rise and Reclaim is proudly brought to you by Verdella, an online domestic violence recovery program that walks alongside people as they rebuild their lives after DFV. Available free to participants through licensed workplaces and community service organisations. Visit: verdella.com.au to find out more. Connect with WorkHaven: workhaven.com.au hello@workhaven.com.au Subscribe and follow Rise and Reclaim so you do not miss future episodes. And if this podcast has resonated with you, please share it; you never know who might need to hear it.

Domestic and family violence does not just damage the primary relationship - it can quietly dismantle a person's entire social world. Through isolation, coercive control, and the weight of shame, friendships may fade, family connections may fracture, and survivors can emerge feeling utterly alone. In this episode of Rise and Reclaim, Jo Mason explores the real impact DFV has on social confidence and connection and why rebuilding those relationships, one small step at a time, is not only possible but deeply healing. Joined by Kris, a victim-survivor, advocate, and what Jo describes as "walking sunshine", this episode is an honest, warm, and practical conversation about how to find your people again after everything has changed. In this episode: Why isolation is one of the most common tactics of coercive control and how it happens gradually, almost invisibly Why shame keeps survivors hidden long after they leave and why that shame belongs to the person who chose to use violence, not the person who experienced it How trauma changes social confidence and why that is a nervous system response, not a personal failing Jo's own experience of emerging from DFV as a "one-woman island" and how she rebuilt her social world step by step Why rebuilding connection does not have to be a big leap and why small moments of safety, repeated over time, are where healing actually happens Why not every friendship survives trauma and why that grief is real, valid, and part of recovery How safe, healthy friendships can become part of the recovery itself Kris's story cut off quickly, isolated for a long time, and how she found her way back through DV support groups, one kind person at a time Why social awkwardness after trauma is completely normal and why confidence is usually rebuilt through reconnecting, not before it Practical tips from this episode: Start with one trusted person and keep it low pressure. A phone call, a coffee, a short visit Consider joining a support group or community activity. Meeting others with shared experience can be deeply validating and a genuine source of new friendship You do not owe anyone your story. Think in advance about what you are comfortable sharing and what you are not, and hold that boundary confidently Notice who makes you feel emotionally safe and protect your energy from those who do not Social awkwardness after trauma is normal. Confidence comes through connection, not before it Some friendships will not survive, and that's okay. Recovery creates space for healthier, more aligned relationships Know that you are worthy of friendship and connection, that has never changed Kris's tips for rebuilding socially: Know that you are a good person with good things to offer, which is still true, even if abuse tried to convince you otherwise. There are kind people out there who genuinely want to spend time with you, find one, and others tend to follow Go and find your people, even if it starts with just one A note for listeners: This podcast covers topics related to domestic and family violence. Please take care of yourself as you listen. If anything comes up for you, support is available. 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au | Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week About Verdella: Rise and Reclaim is proudly brought to you by Verdella, an online domestic violence recovery program that walks alongside people as they rebuild their lives after DFV. Available free to participants through licensed workplaces and community service organisations. Visit: verdella.com.au to find out more. Connect with WorkHaven: workhaven.com.au hello@workhaven.com.au Subscribe and follow Rise and Reclaim so you do not miss future episodes. If this podcast has resonated with you, please share it; you never know who might need to hear it.

Domestic and family violence does not just leave physical marks. One of its most lasting and least talked about impacts is what it does to a person's confidence. Their self-worth, their trust in their own judgement, their sense of who they are. In this episode of Rise and Reclaim, Jo Mason is joined by Mel, a confidence and communication expert, and Tess, a victim-survivor and powerful advocate, to explore what it really means to rebuild confidence after DFV. How to get there, one step at a time. Warm, practical, and full of wisdom, this episode will make you feel less alone and more hopeful about the road ahead. In this episode: How DFV erodes confidence slowly over time and why it does not simply return when the relationship ends Why rebuilding confidence is not about becoming a different person but reconnecting with who you always were Jo's personal experience of rebuilding confidence step by step after leaving her DFV situation The power of journaling and looking back to see how far you have come Mel's practical strategies for rebuilding confidence including self-care, micro-resets, hobbies, and the love file How to identify subtle signs that your confidence has been affected, including diminishing language, over-apologising, and comparisonitis Tess's extraordinary story from struggling to buy a dishwasher to standing in front of 500 people as a speaker and facilitator Why it is okay to wobble and why asking for support is a sign of strength How to challenge negative thoughts that were programmed into you during the relationship The importance of setting boundaries, practicing self-compassion, and investing in yourself How to support someone else who is rebuilding their confidence after DFV Key tips from this episode: Be kind to yourself: Focus on what you have control over, not what you do not Prioritise self-care: Even five minutes a day doing something that brings you joy makes a difference Start a love file: Collect kind words, compliments, and nice messages for the days when you need a reminder of your worth Rediscover what brought you joy: If you cannot remember, think back to what you loved as a child Journal: Not just to get things out, but to look back and see your own progress Notice your glimmer moments: The small sparks of joy that are easy to overlook but worth savouring The only response to a compliment is thank you: You do not have to believe it yet, but practice saying it Name your inner critic: Give them a name, picture them, and tell them to leave Stop comparing yourself to others: The only meaningful comparison is you today versus you before Set small goals: They do not have to be big. Getting to the letterbox counts Set boundaries: This is one of the most important acts of self-care and confidence you can practice Practice self-compassion: You are going to have wobbly days. That is not failure. That is recovery Resources mentioned in this episode: Lasagna Love: Request a free lasagna or donate one to someone in need at lasagnalove.org How to Fail with Elizabeth Day: A podcast recommended by Mel, available on all major podcast platforms A note for listeners: This episode covers topics related to domestic and family violence and its emotional and psychological impact. Please take care of yourself as you listen. If anything comes up for you, support is available. 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au | Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week About Verdella: Rise and Reclaim is proudly brought to you by Verdella, an online domestic violence recovery program that walks alongside people as they rebuild their lives after DFV. Available free to participants through licensed workplaces and community service organisations. Visit: verdella.com.au to find out more. Connect with WorkHaven: workhaven.com.au hello@workhaven.com.au Subscribe and follow Rise and Reclaim so you do not miss future episodes. And if this podcast has resonated with you, please share it; you never know who might need to hear it.

Recovery after domestic and family violence is not just about leaving. It is about rebuilding your confidence, finances, friendships, career, and sense of self. Rise and Reclaim is a podcast series dedicated to that journey. In this opening episode, host Jo Mason introduces the series, shares what listeners can expect across the six episodes ahead and opens up about her own experience of leaving a domestic violence situation eleven years ago. She shares what the road to rebuilding looked like for her. In this episode: What Rise and Reclaim is about and who it is for Why recovery after DFV touches almost every area of a person's life, such as finances, confidence, identity, relationships, career, and wellbeing Jo's personal story of leaving after eleven years and what she faced in those early days How to support someone else who is rebuilding after DFV Why recovery is not linear and why that is okay What is coming up in future episodes A note for listeners: This podcast covers topics related to domestic and family violence. Please take care of yourself as you listen. If anything comes up for you, support is available. 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 | 1800respect.org.au | Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week About Verdella: Rise and Reclaim is proudly brought to you by Verdella, an online domestic violence recovery program that walks alongside people as they rebuild their lives after DFV. Available free to participants through licensed workplaces and community service organisations. Visit: verdella.com.au to find out more. Connect with WorkHaven: workhaven.com.au hello@workhaven.com.au Subscribe and follow Rise and Reclaim so you do not miss future episodes. If this podcast has resonated with you, please share it; you never know who might need to hear it.