Support & Safety Guidelines

Effective Date: October 2025

Please read this page so you know what kind of support we can offer, what we can’t provide, and what to do in a crisis or emergency.

📌 Program Scope & Crisis Limitations.

Quick summary.

De-Toxic Love is an educational relationship program. It is not a crisis service, emergency support line, or a replacement for individual therapy or domestic violence services.

  • We do not monitor worksheets or emails in real time.

  • If you or someone else is in danger, stop and contact emergency services immediately.

  • Your safety and pacing are more important than finishing a lesson or worksheet.

This program is not a crisis or emergency service.

The program content (videos, worksheets, check-ins, emails) is designed for reflection, education, and skill-building. It is not a substitute for:

  • Emergency or crisis mental health care

  • Individual counselling, psychotherapy, or medical treatment

  • Domestic and family violence crisis support or legal advice

We do not monitor your progress or submissions in real time and cannot identify or respond to individual risk or safety concerns expressed through worksheets or emails.

📌 When You Must Seek Immediate Help.

If you are in danger or in crisis.

Please stop using the program immediately and contact emergency or crisis services if:

  • You or someone else is in immediate danger

  • You are having thoughts of harming yourself or someone else

  • Violence, threats, or intimidation are escalating in your home

  • You feel unable to keep yourself or your children safe

  • You are experiencing severe emotional distress that feels unmanageable

If you are in Australia:

  • Emergency services: Call 000

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14

  • 13 YARN (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander support): 13 92 76

  • Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

  • 1800 RESPECT (Sexual, Domestic & Family Violence): 1800 737 732

If you are outside Australia, contact your local emergency number (for example: 911 in the USA/Canada, 999 in the UK, 112 in the EU) or visit this global crisis hotline directory.

📌 Program Support vs. Therapeutic Support.

When to contact the De-Toxic Love support team.

You’re welcome to email us for program-related questions, such as:

  • Technical issues accessing lessons, videos, or worksheets

  • Questions about navigating the program or pacing your progress

  • Clarification on how to use a specific tool or worksheet

You can reach us at [email protected] .

We aim to respond within a reasonable timeframe during business hours. We do not offer 24/7 monitoring and cannot guarantee immediate replies. Please do not use email for urgent or crisis situations.

What this program cannot provide.

To stay within ethical and legal boundaries, De-Toxic Love does not provide:

  • Real-time monitoring of your wellbeing, relationship, or safety

  • Crisis intervention, welfare checks, or emergency responses

  • Individual therapy, diagnosis, or treatment planning

  • Domestic violence risk assessments, safety planning, or legal advice

  • Couples counselling outside of separately booked therapy sessions

The program provides general psychoeducation and relationship tools. It is not intended to diagnose or treat mental health conditions. For personalised therapeutic advice, please seek support from a qualified practitioner.

📌 Relationship Conflict, Abuse & Domestic Violence.

If there is ongoing violence or fear.

This program addresses conflict and patterns of harm in relationships, but it is not designed for situations where there is ongoing unmanaged violence, coercion, or fear.

If you are experiencing:

  • Physical, sexual, or verbal abuse

  • Threats, stalking, or monitoring of your devices

  • Financial control, isolation from support, or intimidation

  • Fear of your partner’s reaction if you speak honestly

Please prioritise safety over participation. It may not be safe or appropriate to complete exercises together as a couple in these circumstances.

If you’re unsure whether your relationship involves patterns of control, fear, or abuse, consider contacting a specialist service (for example, 1800 RESPECT in Australia) to gain clarity and plan for safety.

📌 Managing Distress & When to Pause.

Feeling overwhelmed or activated.

It’s normal to feel uncomfortable, emotional, or triggered at times while working through the program. This doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong, but it is important to pace yourself.

If you notice yourself becoming overwhelmed:

  • Pause the video or worksheet and take a break

  • Use grounding strategies (slow breathing, movement, going outside)

  • Come back to the material when you feel more settled

  • Consider booking a session with a qualified professional for support

You always have permission to move more slowly, repeat weeks, or step back from an exercise if it does not feel safe right now.

When it may be appropriate to pause the program.

Consider pausing temporarily if:

  • Your conversations repeatedly escalate into conflict

  • One or both of you feel emotionally flooded or shut down

  • You can’t complete exercises without fear of judgement or retaliation

  • You feel destabilised or overwhelmed by the content

Pausing is not a failure — it is a sign of awareness and care. You can resume when both partners feel more stable and supported.

📌 Using the Program as a Couple & Shared Email.

Having conversations safely.

Many exercises invite you to share reflections with your partner. These conversations should only happen when both of you are:

  • Calm enough to listen and stay present

  • Willing to pause or stop if either person becomes overwhelmed

  • Committed to avoiding name-calling, threats, or retaliation

If a discussion becomes heated or unsafe:

  • Stop the conversation immediately

  • Use a pre-agreed phrase or signal to pause

  • Take time apart to settle

  • Only return to the topic if it can be revisited safely

If safety cannot be maintained in joint conversations, you may need to complete the program individually or seek professional support before continuing couples-based exercises.

Using a shared email address.

Many couples choose to use a shared email account for program communication and worksheet summaries.

By using a shared email, you acknowledge that this may allow your partner to view information submitted through the program. You accept responsibility for how this information is accessed and managed between you, and understand that De-Toxic Love cannot control who opens or reads emails once they are delivered.

📌 Weekly Check-Ins — What They Are (and Are Not).

Purpose of the weekly check-ins.

Weekly check-ins are designed to help you work through the program with guidance, structure, and support. They are used to:

  • Clarify any parts of the lessons or worksheets you find confusing

  • Help you use the tools and techniques correctly in your situation

  • Support you if you feel stuck, unsure, or emotionally activated

  • Ensure you understand the methodology and are pacing yourself safely

What weekly check-ins are not.

These sessions are not therapy or couples counselling. They are not designed to:

  • Medi­ate conflict or “take sides” in disagreements

  • Resolve long-standing relationship issues on the spot

  • Provide crisis intervention or emergency safety planning

  • Replace individual or couples therapy with a qualified practitioner

The check-ins function more like structured coaching and educational support — helping you stay on track with the program and apply the tools. If you require deeper therapeutic work, emotional processing, or crisis support, we encourage you to seek individual or couples counselling alongside (or before) continuing with the course.

📌 Summary & Responsibility.

What we want you to remember.

Your safety and wellbeing matter more than finishing a worksheet, keeping to a timeline, or “making the program work”. De-Toxic Love is designed to support reflection, communication, and change — but it cannot replace emergency services, specialist domestic violence support, or individual therapy.

Disclaimer.

This program provides general psychoeducation and may not be suitable for couples experiencing ongoing violence, coercive control, unmanaged addiction, psychosis, or untreated severe mental health conditions. In these situations, specialised individual support is recommended.

By participating in this program, you acknowledge that you remain responsible for your own emotional and physical safety. De-Toxic Love, its creators, and its facilitators are not liable for any actions, decisions, or outcomes that occur during or after your participation. Participation is voluntary and may be discontinued at any time, and you agree to seek appropriate emergency, medical, or therapeutic support when needed.

📧 For additional support, email [email protected].