Men from all walks of life with all sorts of stories about violence walk through the doors of Stopping Violence Dunedin every day.
Established in 1986, SVD offers six-month programmes to men with family violence problems.
Manager Lynne Baird said half their clients were ordered to undergo a programme by a court, the other half referred themselves.
The programmes were funded by the Government and charitable organisations so money did not become another barrier to seeking help, she said.
About 60 men attended programmes on a weekly basis, and the organisation was exploring ways to establish a women's programme next year.
"We are part of the solution. If people want help they just have to give us a ring."
Having worked at SVD for the past four years, Ms Baird knows the face of violence takes many forms and there are varying degrees of abuse in different situations.
"It does not feature in one particular demographic. It does not feature in one particular ethnicity. It's right across the board."
The programmes help men work through issues such as intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, sexual disrespect, financial abuse, physical violence, support and trust.
While the organisation had noticed an increase in people attending its programmes, Ms Baird said domestic violence had always been an issue, but, thanks to awareness campaigns, people were beginning to realise their behaviour was harmful and sought help for it.
"It's a community issue and it's about families," she said.
Once people completed a course, they gave "stunning feedback".
One man said he stayed on the course because: "I knew I needed help and after a few weeks I realised that this course will help me to achieve what I need to".
Another said the course "improved my way of thinking and consciousness of those around me and how they may suffer for my problems".
