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When Survival Gets Criminalized: How I Support Women After They’ve Been Charged

Hi, I’m Nada. I’m a Trauma-Informed Therapist here at Nada Johnson Consulting & Counselling Services, where I support women who’ve been impacted by abuse, violence, and injustice.


Some of the women I work with have also been charged with a crime. They’ve found themselves navigating courtrooms, jail cells, or probation meetings often while still carrying the weight of deep trauma.


If this sounds familiar, I want you to know something right now: You are not alone. You are not broken. And you are not your charges.

I See More Than What’s on Paper


Many women who are criminalized have survived things no one should ever have to endure, like childhood abuse, unsafe relationships, addiction, poverty, or years of being unheard.


Sometimes the things we do to survive, whether it’s using substances, running away, fighting back, or stealing to get by are the very things that get us in trouble with the law.


But those choices didn’t come from nowhere. They were shaped by pain. And I’m not here to judge your past.


I’m here to support your healing.


Women’s experiences of trauma are often completely overlooked in the justice system. Especially for Indigenous women, whose stories are deeply tied to colonization, racism, and historical violence, the full truth of what brought them to court is rarely told or truly understood (Georgia Coughlan, 2023).

When Trauma Responses Get Criminalized


So many women have said the same thing: “I did what I had to do to survive.”


Maybe you turned to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain. Maybe you were in a relationship where your partner controlled or coerced you. Maybe you acted out, shut down, or made decisions you regret.


That doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you human.


Coughlan (2023) explains that this pattern—what we call the victim-offender continuum—is common. Women are often punished for the ways they’ve adapted to abuse, neglect, and trauma.


They are charged not because they are dangerous, but because they were surviving the best way they knew how.

What I Can Help You With


If you’re facing court-ordered counselling, feeling overwhelmed, or just trying to make sense of everything, you don’t have to do this alone.


At NJCCS, I offer:


  • Trauma-informed counselling to help you understand how your past experiences shaped your responses

  • Support preparing for Gladue reports (for Indigenous clients), where I help you tell your story with dignity and care

  • A nonjudgmental space to explore who you are beyond the system’s labels

  • Tools to rebuild your confidence and reconnect with the parts of yourself that may feel lost or silenced


I know that being charged can come with shame. But shame doesn’t belong to you; it belongs to the systems that failed to support you before you ever ended up here.

You Are Not Beyond Help. You Are Deserving of Healing


I know it can feel like you’ve messed everything up. That you’ve gone too far. That people won’t understand.

But I want you to hear this: You are still worthy of love, support, and a future.


The things you’ve lived through don’t make you weak. They make you resilient. And healing is still possible even now.


If you’re ready to move into self-advocacy, I’m here to walk beside you.


📧 Contact me at info@nadajohnsonservices.com if this blog spoke to you.


Warm Regards,


 

Nada Johnson, MSW, RSW

Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist / trained Family Mediator / EMDR Trained Therapist / Certified Racial Trauma Clinician / Mental Health & Sexual Violence Consultant / Professional Speaker



Nada Johnson Consulting & Counselling Services - Online phone and video sessions available

Village Healing Centre: 240 Roncesvalles Avenue

C: 437-887-6146


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📚 References

Coughlan, G. (2023). The victimization of criminalized women and trauma trails: Pathways to criminalization and the dichotomy of the victim offender continuum. In/voke: Journal of Canadian Women's and Gender Studies, 3(1). https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/invoke/index.php/invoke/article/view/48986/40991


Want More Support for Your Professional & Personal Growth?

🔷Try Potential Unlocked™


In addition to counseling, NJCCS offers coaching through our sister brand, Potential Unlocked™, designed specifically for professional women navigating career, leadership, and life transitions.


We support clients with:

  • Communication and conflict strategy in the workplace

  • Career development and leadership coaching

  • Navigating workplace dynamics and burnout recovery

  • Building confidence in both personal and professional relationships (Online dating empowerment coaching, because personal growth impacts professional life too!)


👉 Visit www.potentialunlocked.ca to learn more or book a free 10-minute consultation call.


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