DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAINING
Enhancing Response, Improving Outcomes
Equipping the professionals who walk alongside victims and survivors—through advocacy, response, investigation, and healing.
Victim advocates, multidisciplinary professionals, and justice system partners play a vital role in helping survivors navigate the aftermath of violence, abuse, and trauma. Experiences of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse are complex and nuanced – requiring informed response and care.
Ashley Bendiksen brings lived survivor experience plus a professional background spanning victim advocacy in courtroom and campus settings, domestic violence services, the criminal justice system, high-profile case support, policy development, early intervention, and crisis response, grounded in a degree in Administration of Justice.
Her work equips victim advocates, multidisciplinary teams, law enforcement, and prosecution professionals with deeper insight and trauma-informed strategies to strengthen response, support survivors effectively, and improve case outcomes.
Ashley blends heartfelt storytelling with research-informed strategies that leave professionals feeling both inspired and better equipped to support survivors.
Trusted by agencies, departments, and organizations nationwide
Who Ashley Supports
- Victim Service Professionals
- Children’s Advocacy Centers
- Multidisciplinary Teams
- Law Enforcement
- Prosecutors and Legal Teams
- Domestic Violence Units
- Campus Safety and Security
- Military and Defense Personnel
Recognizing Abuse
Identify behaviors and indicators that shape victim interaction and case progression.
Understanding Trauma
Understand how trauma and coercion influence communication, engagement, and decision-making.
Supporting Survivors
Strengthen advocacy and empower survivors with effective trauma-informed practices.
Improving Outcomes
Equip multidisciplinary response to improve survivor experiences and case outcomes.
Speaking Topics and Training Areas
Speaking engagements are tailored to the needs of each organization, blending lived experience with an advanced focus on real-world strategies and practical application.
Advocacy, Healing, and Survivor Empowerment
Research-backed strategies to effectively support trauma and abuse survivors — building trust, restoring agency, fostering resilience, and creating pathways toward healing.
Dynamics of Abuse, Coercive Control, and Trauma
Exploring how power, control, domestic violence, and trauma shape behavior, disclosure, reporting, testimony, participation, and help-seeking.
Trauma-Informed Practice and Victim Engagement
Applying trauma-informed and dignity-centered approaches to interactions, investigations, decision-making, case handling, and survivor support.
Investigations and Case Considerations
From on-scene response to prosecution, explore strategies to mitigate safety risks, ensure accurate fact-finding, build trust, strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration, and improve outcomes for survivors.
Advocates and responders play a critical role. The work is necessary - and powerful. With the right skills, harm can be addressed, and survivors can heal, rebuild, and restore what's been lost.
Advocates and responders play a critical role. The work is necessary - and powerful. With the right skills, harm can be addressed, and survivors can heal, rebuild, and restore what's been lost.
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Grounded in practical application and real-world experience — catered to your goals.
Request speaking rates & availability, or schedule a call
No obligation, no pressure - ever.
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Select Highlights from Ashley's Work
FIELD EXPERIENCE
- Office of the District Attorney – Executive Assistant and Press Assistant
- District Court Victim Witness Advocate
- Juvenile Court Victim Witness Advocate
- Campus Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Victim Advocate
- Sexual Assault Prevention Military Trainer
- Bystander Intervention Trainer for College Athletes
- Lobbyist for Domestic Violence and Victims Rights Legislation
- Community Education and Outreach Coordinator and Trainer
- Office of the Attorney General – Superior Court Domestic Violence/Homicide Paralegal Intern
EDUCATION & TRAINING
- Valedictorian, Salve Regina University, B.A. in Administration of Justice
- Massachusetts Victim Assistance Academy
- Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance Continuing Education
- Trained Rape Crises and Domestic Violence Responder
- Extensive training across trauma-informed care, childhood trauma and ACEs, crisis response, and trauma resilience
- Certified Facilitator, Safe Dates: A Teen Dating Violence Prevention Curriculum
- Trained in Green Dot and Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) bystander prevention
- Certified Trauma and Resilience Specialist in Education (CTRS-E)
LEADERSHIP
- Rhode Island Ambassador to the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA) – Present
- Frequent press contributor, including this exclusive PBS feature and Crime Junkie Podcast
- Board of Directors and Development Director, Women’s Resource Center (DV Agency)
- Founder, Blue Hearts Project – a global storytelling platform for survivors
- Testimony, MA Bill Mandating Employment Protections For Victims of Abuse
- Conference Speaker – NOVA (National Organization for Victim Advocacy), CESE (National Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation)
- White Ribbon Campaign Co-organizer, including with the Boston Celtics
- Survivor in 8x Award-Winning Documentary, Notoriety Network’s #SHEROProject
- Military and Securities Training Partner, Difference Makers #10Strong
- Task force member and primary chairperson for countless prevention initiatives
Ashley Bendiksen, Domestic Violence Training, Survivor, Expert Speaker