“As a facilitator of the Shark Cage group in Adelaide for the last 18 months, I have found running the program very satisfying. I found that the way the manual had been so thoroughly written out by Ursula made it far easier to run the group than other groups I have facilitated. I enjoyed the non-blaming Shark Cage metaphor and the Human Rights lens, and women who have participated have told me that they now use this lens when assessing future relationships and looking out for red flags that might indicate Shark activity. I loved the originality of creating the Shark Cage mural using group activities throughout the program and have had lots of participant feedback about the long term positive effects of the program. It has become a very popular group and fills up quickly with a minimum drop out rate.”
Psychologist and Clinical Supervisor Ursula Benstead has 25 years of experience in the field of complex trauma, particularly in the areas of family/domestic violence and sexual assault.
As the author of The Shark Cage Group Program Manual and co-author of The Shark Cage Program For Young Women, Ursula has provided Shark Cage training in Australia and internationally to over 5000 professionals.
Ursula’s important and impactful framework is highly sought after to resource workers with tools to empower their clients