Debbs was a victim of serious family violence and harm. Upon navigating a pathway to a life free from violence, she has dedicated her career to the family violence sector. For more than 20 years, Debbs has unashamedly pushed for greater local and national victim survivor and sectorial awareness, while striving to increase systemic and workforce capability. 

 

Debbs is the very proud mother of four amazing adult children (and Soxz the cat), nanny to seven precious grandbabies, a partner, a daughter, a sister, a sister-in-law and an aunty.

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As a survivor of family violence, Debbs recognises and presents an interconnected perspective of victim survivor and practitioner in a professional, healthy, engaging, and informative manner. Debbs is passionate about improving outcomes for whānau through increasing professional family violence capability and organisational accountability.

 

Debbs founded ECLIPSE Family Violence Services to share a unique practitioner-victim perspective and has developed models and tools to help practitioners build greater understanding and awareness of family violence, and coercive control as an overarching tactic.

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Debbs is now at a place in her life where she is choosing to stand by her story and experiences. She has written a soon to be published book of her journey through family violence called “One Soul, One Survivor” and recently shared aspects of her personal journey in the New Zealand on Air Breaking Silence 2021 documentary series.​