Coercive Control Workshop

Description:
This specialized workshop will equip lawyers who work with Intimate Partner Violence (Family and Criminal) with a deeper understanding of coercive control and its impact on individuals and families. Participants will explore who is most affected by coercive control, examine how bias and assumptions about domestic violence can shape legal responses, and develop more precise language for recognizing and describing these dynamics. The session emphasizes the critical role legal professionals play in identifying coercive control and offers practical strategies to strengthen recognition and response within legal practice.

Bio:
Carolyn Artym is the Innovation Coordinator at Sagesse, where she leads initiatives that transform ideas into meaningful action. With more than six years of experience as a facilitator, she has cultivated a strong practice in guiding conversations with diverse communities and creating environments where people feel supported in engaging with complex and challenging topics, including domestic abuse.

In her role, Carolyn works collaboratively across the organization to advance innovation that strengthens the capacity of individuals, organizations, and communities to disrupt the systems and structures that enable domestic abuse. She brings a thoughtful, people centered approach to her work, ensuring that innovation is grounded in connection, curiosity, and meaningful impact.

Sagesse empowers people of all backgrounds to disrupt systems and patterns that lead to domestic abuse, while advocating for the large-scale change needed to eradicate it altogether. What began as a way for people experiencing abuse to support their peers, has grown to include support for all Albertans affected by abuse and sexual exploitation. This includes vulnerable individuals, victims of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation, and the network of family and friends who stand with them. We work to stop abuse and coercive control before it starts alongside an expanding circle of volunteers, communities, and partners.

This CPD has been approved by the Law Society of British Columbia and may be applied towards the mandatory 12 hour Continuing Professional Development requirement in both BC and Yukon.