The purpose of the service:

Being exposed to domestic abuse, or experiencing it yourself, is a traumatising experience which may affect your mental health and overall wellbeing. This counselling service is dedicated to supporting girls and young women who have experienced domestic abuse, either themselves or because there is or has been domestic abuse in their family or household.

How this service could help you:

Counselling can provide you with a safe space to speak about the domestic abuse you have experienced, and how it has affected you. You may want to talk about other worries and fears too, and that is fine. Our counsellors are all women and they will help you to make sense of your feelings and experiences and help you to move forward with your life. This service aims to help you build your self-esteem and confidence and equip you with the tools to lead a fulfilling life, free from future violence or abuse.

What to expect:

Once we have received your referral form we will try and give you an indication of when your counselling might begin, though waiting times can vary.
Before starting counselling we will invite you to an initial assessment appointment. This is a meeting with one of our counsellors to discuss your needs and for you to ask any questions about the service.

We will offer you up to 24 sessions of counselling. Your sessions will last 50 minutes and will be at the same time and location each week. They will be with the same counsellor (although she may be different from the one you met at your assessment).

You will need to attend your counselling sessions regularly and on time. Your participation in this service will always be voluntary.

How to access this service:

This service is run in partnership with Next Link, Domestic Abuse Support Services. To make a referral for yourself or someone else, please contact our helpline on 0117 9166461 / 0345 4582914 or email helpline@womankindbristol.org.uk to request a referral form.