The Safety Team

The Safety Team (TST) is quite possibly the most experienced group of Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) instructors on the planet.

TST was founded 20 years ago by a group of advanced female martial artists who also happened to be professionals with diverse expertise in the realities of violence against women. For example, team members include a clinical psychologist, middle school educator, forensic toxicologist, physical therapist, guardian ad-litem, childbirth educator, and business leader-all of whom met while training in the martial arts and many of whom have earned black belts and beyond.

Together, these women combined their professional expertise with their martial arts skills to develop comprehensive ESD violence prevention training programs, while also acquiring non-profit 501(c)3 status.

TST has collaborated with community groups, colleges, schools and other organizations to bring Empowerment Self-Defense wherever it is needed most throughout Vermont. Over the years, TST has run hundreds of workshops and served thousands of women. The result? Many people have reduced their risk of violence, and some have also experienced healing while doing so.

And they didn't stop there.

TST recognized that some survivors understandably might not feel comfortable attending a community ESD class. Further, TST believed that a different format, approach and finely attuned curriculum might be helpful in promoting healing, while also expanding our reach to a broader range of survivors.

This led to our passion project of combining our professional expertise with Empowerment Self-Defense to create Therapeutic Empowerment Self-Defense (TESD™), a neuroscience-based trauma recovery therapy for survivors of various types of violence and trauma which combines psychoeducation, therapeutic support, and adapted ESD techniques.