Disclaimer: I’m not a legal professional. I’ve been in family court a few times, though.
I’d recommend a little bit of rehearsal. Probably the women’s center can help you with this. Practice answering the kind of question you’re likely to be asked in court. Practice sticking to pertinent facts and not rambling.
Marshal your facts ahead of time, too. Know which specific incidents you want to cite and when they happened, especially if there’s a pattern.
You don’t want to sound rehearsed, of course, but neither do you want to sound baffled, confused, and uncertain. Stick to your own words. If there’s some special keyword you want to be sure to use, though, I’m sure your women’s center counselor will tell you (for example, and it’s just an example, “afraid for my life”).
You won’t be the first person who ever cried in a courtroom, but you also don’t want to blubber your head off while the judge gets impatient.
If they offer to have an advocate accompany you, you’ll say yes, won’t you?
Oh, and if the defendant has an attorney or representative present, don’t talk to them. In fact, don’t talk to anybody there without knowing who they are.
You can do this. Good luck.