Speaking in advance of white ribbon day on November 25, an international day of activism against domestic violence, Ms Franklin said she hated the fact that a woman was likelier to be assaulted or murdered in her home than in any other location.

Ms Franklin said most domestic violence victims that she encountered were women in a long-term relationship with a man who regularly invalidated them and denigrated them.

She said women are abused an average of 35 times before seeking help.

Many domestic violence sufferers who come to her are diagnosed with depression, without understanding the cause.

In other cases, she said a woman will reach a point where she thinks, “I don’t have to do this any more,” which can be, for example, when her children leave home.

A woman’s children can also lead her to seek help when she sees the effect that the relationship is having on them.

In many cases, the abuse is not physical, but verbal and psychological.

“Abuse happens on a continuum, and nowhere on that continuum is it okay,” Ms Franklin said.

She said abuse could come in the form of disparaging remarks about a woman’s dress or cooking, scoffing at a woman’s opinions, rejecting them, or simply not asking for them.

Over time, Ms Franklin said a verbally abusive relationship can make a woman lose confidence in her worth and intelligence, become reluctant to express herself, reach out to others, or engage in social situations.

As she withdraws and loses touch with her social network, a woman loses her point of comparison on normality and acceptability.

The loss of confidence can exacerbate the effects of the abuse, keeping a woman from finding a job or maintaining authority over her children.

This can make her financially dependent on her partner, and lead her children, especially sons, to treat her in a manner resembling the abusive treatment they have observed.