Family Violence describes a systematic pattern of abusive behaviours within a relationship that is characterized by intimacy, dependency and/or trust. The abusive behaviours exist within a context where their purpose is to gain power, control and induce fear. All forms of abusive behaviour are ways in which one human being is trying to have control and/or exploit or have power over another.

Family violence can occur in multiple ways like verbal abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, spiritual abuse, physical abuse, etc.

If you interested in learning more about types of violence or tactics of violence, this is something you can explore with your Family Violence Specialist.

Our definition of family violence aligns with that used by CIAFV (Community Initiatives Against Family Violence)

Nope! Our services are free of charge the whole way through.

We offer child-minding services free of charge for you to take advantage of! If this is a service you require please inform us during intake so we can ensure a staff member will be available.

A Family Violence Specialist or other staff member will be happy to spend time playing with your child in our child-minding room that is full of toys, books, stuffed animals, games, crafts, learning materials, and more. Our child-minding room is in office only a few feet from your session.

Due to the potentially traumatizing nature of the conversations sessions may entail we advise clients to refrain from bringing their children into their session with them.

No we do not. We do not provide or offer housing to clients but are happy to connect them to other organizations that may be able to help them.

The Today Centre’s address is 17724 102 Avenue NW. We are located in the Westgate Business Park just across 102 Avenue from the Westgate Chevrolet dealership. We are located right beside Pat n’ Mike’s Diner.

If you are travelling via transit, it is common to transit to West Edmonton Mall. From there you can hop on Bus Number 205 towards St. Albert from Bay B, that will drop you off on 178 St. just past Stony Plain Rd.

For a bit of a longer route you can take Bus Number 054/906 from Bay A towards Clareview, that will drop you off in the same location above.

Or there is Bus Number 907 towards Westmount from Bay A that will drop you off at 176 St & 102 Avenue. From there it’s a 2 minute walk West along 102 Ave to our office.

If you are travelling via transit, it is common to transit to West Edmonton Mall. From there you can hop on Bus Number 205 towards St. Albert from Bay B, that will drop you off on 178 St. just past Stony Plain Rd.

For a bit of a longer route you can take Bus Number 054/906 from Bay A towards Clareview, that will drop you off in the same location above.

Or there is Bus Number 907 towards Westmount from Bay A that will drop you off at 176 St & 102 Avenue. From there it’s a 2 minute walk West along 102 Ave to our office.

You can access our services by calling our main line (780) 455-6880, reaching out on our LiveChat on our website, or by emailing info@thetodaycentre.ca. Each of these options will connect you with a Family Violence Specialist who will be happy to help.

Any adult who has recently (within the past year) been subjected to family violence. We work with individuals of any gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, economic status, and culture.

If you feel more comfortable accessing services in your first language, The Today Centre can arrange for interpretation during your sessions. Please let us know if this is required during your intake session.

We do accept walk-ins. However, we cannot guarantee someone will be available to support you should you walk in.

Please book an appointment through our intake lines to ensure we have a Family Violence Specialist available.

Your contact will be transferred to our Family Violence Intake Specialist to chat about The Today Centre’s services, ask questions about resources, and/or to book an appointment. If you are interested in booking an appointment, our Family Violence Intake Specialist will complete an intake questionnaire with you, and this information will be passed to the Family Violence Specialist you will be seeing. Our Intake will always contact you via the means you have contacted us by. We will email you if you email us, call if you call, etc.

If you need to leave a message, we ask that you provide your name and number and also indicate whether it is safe to call back and leave a message when we return your call. We will not leave a message unless we know it is safe to do so. We strive to return messages within two business days.

The questions on the questionnaire will include information about your demographics (age, address, ethnicity, gender, etc.) and information about the violence you have been experiencing. You do not have to answer any question you are not comfortable answering. This process is based on your individual needs and usually takes about 30 minutes.

The Today Centre is ground level, and hosts ample free parking in the business park. If you have mobility issues and need parking closer to the building, please let our Family Violence Specialists know and we’ll ensure there is a reserved space for you. We also strive to be a scent-free work space.

When you arrive you’ll find our main door that enters to a small lobby with a second door that is locked in front of you. On your left you’ll find a doorbell you can ring that will let our Office Manager know to buzz you into reception. There you will be asked your name and which of our Family Violence Specialists you have a session with. If you are unsure of the name of the Specialist, our Office manager has a record of all scheduled appointments for the day and will be able to help you out if you are expected.

The Office Manager will then let your Family Violence Specialist know that you have arrived and inquire if you’d like anything to drink or if you need to use the restroom* before your session. Your Family Violence Specialist will then come introduce themselves and show you to the room you will be having your session in.

*Our restrooms, although designated with ‘male’ and ‘female’ signs, are both free for any gender to use. Our ‘female’ restroom contains a changing table for your convenience. While our restrooms are multi-stalled, we are currently limiting the capacity of each bathroom to one individual. You will see an “occupied and vacant” sign on the exterior of the restroom door and we ask that you please slide the sign to the appropriate setting when using the restroom. When exiting, please remember to change the sign back to ‘Vacant’.

The role of the Family Violence Specialist is to provide a non-judgmental, safe space for you to tell your story and provide resource information and support. Family Violence Specialists are able to support with the creation of safety plans, assess for risk associated with harm or domestic homicide, provide education on family violence, and connect you to resources. Initial sessions are typically between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the individual’s needs.

No, we do not provide crisis or emergency services.

For 24/7 help please call 211 for more information or 310-1818.

For assistance with emergencies please call 911.

Our office and Family Violence Specialists are available Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM for your convenience.

That is 100% okay!

All sessions with a Family Violence Specialist are 100% client driven, focusing on the individual needs, desired outcomes, and wants you have identified in session.

If you choose not to schedule a follow-up session, we will honour your choice to do so. You are never obligated to return or continue with our services.

If you choose to continue with our services and schedule more sessions, you can typically expect to return for a total of 4-6 sessions, depending on your need.

In your last session with your Family Violence Specialist you will be invited to fill out a client survey that focuses on evaluating the outcome of your time with us. The Family Violence Specialist will leave the room to give you some time and privacy to fill out the survey in quiet. You may choose to forego this survey or refrain from answering certain questions on it, if you desire.

There may also be an opportunity for you to share your testimony or story for use in promotional materials if you wish. If this is the case you will be given a form with some prompting questions. All identifying information pertaining to you (contact information, name, etc.) will remain confidential and anonymous. The Today Centre keeps your information confidential and will only share other information with other service providers with your written consent, unless a child is at risk or a person is a danger to themselves or others.

All identifying information pertaining to you (name, contact information etc.) will remain confidential. The Today Centre keeps your information confidential and will only share other information with other service providers with your explicit written consent, unless a child is at risk or a person is a danger to themselves or others.

If you consent to the use of your information in commercial or promotional materials, all identifying features will be removed and your story will be shared anonymously or under a pseudonym.

You can check out our page on ‘Helping Someone Else’ here for more information.