CCChat-Magazine_3

GWEN OWEN
Mediator and Panel Member
of CCChat Discussion Group
I
am interviewing Gwen Owen, a commercial and civil
mediator with offices in the medieval grid of Suffolk
market-town, Bury St Edmunds.
Starting next year, the first CCChat Discussion Group
will start, in Bury St Edmunds, with Gwen as one of
the panel members.
Hi Gwen, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview and thank
you also for letting me use your offices for the upcoming CCChat
Discussion Group. I wanted to find out a little more about what you do
so, for the first question: Are you a shower or a bath person?
A bit of both really. Shower in the morning but I love a bath at night. Are you an
early bird or a night owl?
More of a night owl but I can get up in the morning and can hit the floor running, if
I need to.
Your offices are based in the centre of Bury St Edmunds. What is the
best thing about being in Bury St Edmunds?
Oh where do I start! I love the feel of the town:- Abbey Gardens , all the cafés,
independent shops, the Wednesday and Saturday Market, the friendly people, the
Cathedral, the surrounding villages and the community spirit of our Facebook page:
- WE LOVE BURY ST EDMUNDS
As you know, I raise awareness of coercive control. What do you think
needs to be done to improve understanding?
Generally there is no hiding the fact there is physical abuse in many relationships;
we can see the evidence of this when someone has been affected. Mental cruelty and
coercive control, can be hidden by the perpetrator and the victim, therefore if more
people have an understanding of how damaging and dangerous coercive control can
be, there will be more opportunities for victims to be heard and understood.
Hopefully this will result in less situations sliding under the radar.
There is an enormous need to educate potential victims by providing support and
general awareness. The need for self worth, self belief together with the knowledge
they will be listened to, will provide strength to the potential victim. This means the
perpetrator who is attempting coercive control will not have the level of power
required to succeed.
CCChat Magazine - Making the Invisible Visible