Victoria Birch

“The sessions really helped me a lot at a time when I felt very sad and isolated.”

Domestic abuse is a national public health emergency of epidemic proportions – it leaves survivors struggling with long-lasting and devastating mental health issues and is a leading driver of suicide in women.

With 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 children being victims in their lifetime, the prevalence of domestic abuse is now recognised as a national crisis.

This World Mental Health Day, we want to make it clear that no woman should suffer in silence or alone.

We offer free trauma-informed counselling to support women to rebuild confidence and move forward.

In 2024-5, we supported 833 women across all our services:

89% had reduced stress and anxiety
94% had improved self-esteem
70% no longer had suicidal feelings
71% had not self-harmed recently.

It is vital that we respond to survivors’ mental health needs and safeguard them from the psychological damage and trauma, to enable them to recover and rebuild their lives.

But Woman’s Trust’s Living Without Hope report, which evaluated evidence and research, exposed major gaps for support:

Domestic abuse is a key driver of women’s mental ill health, self-harm and suicides.

The lack of mental health support for domestic abuse survivors has devastating consequences.

The response of statutory services, including mental health, remains inadequate and ineffective.

With the Home Office due to publish its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, we’ve joined forces with over 90 charities to send an open letter to Government to make sure the mental health impact of domestic abuse is finally addressed, urging them to fund specialist, long-term mental healthcare.

We are calling for the Government to provide funding of at least £27.5m per year to deliver specialist counselling and therapeutic support in the community, for women and girls.

Healing is possible. Woman’s Trust will support survivors every step of the way.

If you want to support our work, Big Give is match funding all donations this week, October 8-15. To find out more see our story.

From October 8-15, Woman’s Trust is taking part in the Big Give’s Women & Girls Match Fund – every donation will be MATCHED, meaning your gift goes twice as far.

We are aiming to raise £5,000 from our generous supporters – so we can access match funding to hit our target of £10,000.

Woman’s Trust is the leading mental health charity supporting women and children to rebuild their lives after domestic abuse — offering free, specialist counselling and life-changing support.

Its one-to-one person-centred counselling service provides up to 18 weekly, 50-minute sessions per client with a professional counsellor, trained to understand the specific dynamics and issues associated with domestic abuse.

£25 becomes £50…
£250 becomes £500…
£5,000 becomes £10,000 – funding over 100 one-to-one counselling sessions for women recovering from domestic abuse.

In 2024-5, we supported 833 women across all our services:

89% had reduced stress and anxiety; 94% had improved self-esteem; 70% no longer had suicidal feelings, 71% had not self-harmed recently.

Heidi Riedel, CEO of Woman’s Trust, said: “This year we are looking to raise £5,000 from our generous donors to be able to access the matching pot and double the amount.

“We are so grateful for any donation, big or small, to help us reach our target and support more survivors. It is vital that we respond to survivors’ mental health needs and safeguard them from the psychological damage and trauma, to enable them to recover and rebuild their lives.”

Donations will be generously matched by Big Give’s Champions during the campaign to make double the difference in supporting.

Donate here: 1:1 Counselling for Domestic Abuse Survivors – Big Give
Only available: October 8–15
Your donation will be matched — but only for ONE WEEK

When women and girls thrive, communities thrive. Help us build a fairer, safer world.

About Big Give:

Big Give is a registered charity (1136547) that runs match funded campaigns for charities and special causes at key moments across the year.

By connecting charities to match funders (like philanthropists, foundations or corporates) and the public, Big Give helps them double their donations. And, in doing so, makes an extraordinary difference to the world’s biggest challenges. It has raised more than £350m for charities to date.

“I was facing a hard time feeling depressed and wishing to die. My counsellor gives me emotional support talks and makes me see value in myself.”

Today we are marking World Suicide Prevention Day – shining a stark and urgent light on the hidden toll of domestic abuse.

Today and every day, Woman’s Trust stands with survivors to acknowledge the silent, internal battles that so many face – underlining that supporting mental health isn’t optional, it’s essential.

The statistics reveal a devastating truth:

There are more domestic abuse deaths by suicide than by homicide, with at least 2 women’s deaths by suicide a week (NPCC, 2024).

Half of all suicide attempts by women are linked to domestic abuse (City, University of London, 2022).

1 in 12 women attempt suicide, compared to 1 in 20 men, although more men die by suicide than women (McManus et al, 2016).

Of those referred to women’s organisations for advocacy support, 1 in 3 survivors identify mental health needs and almost 1 in 5 (18%) report attempting suicide or suicidal ideation (University of Warwick/Refuge, 2021).

Survivors tell us that counselling and mental health support is what they need most. Yet more than 1 in 2 survivors can’t access this support due to lack of capacity and funding for specialist services.

That’s why over 90 organisations and campaigners working across the Violence Against Women and Girls, mental health and domestic abuse sectors have signed Woman’s Trust’s letter calling for an investment of around £28m to fund community-based specialist and long-term provision.

Without free and accessible mental health support for survivors, we are putting women’s lives at risk.

Specialist counselling saves lives and changes futures – helping women find a way forward.