Counselling and Domestic Abuse Support

For many people subjected to domestic abuse, reaching out for support is one of the hardest steps they will ever take and often the start of a long journey to safety and recovery.

At York Women's Counselling, we are proud to work alongside our local specialist domestic abuse service, IDAS.

Together, we offer different forms of support that complement one another, helping survivors move not only from danger to safety, but from surviving to healing.

Different support for different stages of recovery

The support provided by domestic abuse services and counselling are sometimes thought of as the same thing. However, they are very different, but equally important roles.

An Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) works alongside survivors to improve safety and reduce risk. They may help someone develop a safety plan, navigate the criminal or family justice system, access safe accommodation, work with children's services, or advocate with other agencies. Their focus is on helping someone regain stability while responding to the practical and emotional impact of abuse.

Counselling has a different purpose

Nearly 35% of women who access our service identify as survivors of adult domestic abuse at the assessment stage. This figure rises to around 50% during counselling as women begin to feel more comfortable sharing their experiences. They may also become more aware of previous or current unhealthy relationships and the impact these have had on their lives.

Rather than focusing on managing immediate risk, counselling provides a safe therapeutic relationship where survivors can process trauma at their own pace. It helps people understand the impact abuse has had on their lives, make sense of difficult emotions, rebuild confidence and develop healthy ways of coping.

Many survivors benefit from practical advocacy and safety planning before they are ready to explore their experiences in greater depth. Others begin counselling while continuing to receive support from an IDVA as they navigate ongoing risks or court proceedings.

When these services work together, survivors receive support that recognises the whole person, not just the crisis they are experiencing.

A partnership built around survivors

At York Women’s Counselling Service we work with local specialised services such as IDAS. “IDAS is the largest specialist charity in Yorkshire supporting people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence” to support survivers of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Our relationship with IDAS is built on a shared belief that recovery cannot be rushed.

Through close partnership working, IDAS can refer survivors into our specialist trauma-informed counselling, helping to ensure they receive support that reflects both the complexity of trauma and the individual's own pace of recovery. In addition, our counselling services are accessible and not time limited, which is important for survivors.

IDAS

IDAS is the largest specialist charity in Yorkshire supporting people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence

When abuse is disclosed in counselling

For some people, counselling is the first place they feel able to speak openly about abuse.

A skilled trauma-informed counsellor understands that disclosure is deeply personal and should never be rushed or pressured. Their role is to listen without judgement, validate a survivor's experiences and create a safe environment where they feel believed.

Where there are concerns about someone's immediate safety, or where a survivor wants additional practical support, counsellors can work alongside specialist domestic abuse services such as IDAS.

This does not mean taking over the therapeutic relationship. Instead, it means ensuring survivors have access to specialist advocacy, safety planning and practical support while continuing their therapeutic journey.

Working together enables each professional to contribute their expertise, always with the survivor's needs at the centre.

Healing takes time

Many survivors have lived with abuse for years, sometimes decades. The impacts of coercive control, violence and sexual abuse cannot always be resolved through short-term interventions.

York Women's Counselling Service is the only local service that offers specialist trauma-informed counselling with no fixed limit on the number of sessions. Clients typically receive 15–20 weeks of support, allowing them the time needed to achieve meaningful, lasting change.

Recovery is rarely linear.

There are moments of progress, setbacks, renewed confidence and difficult anniversaries. Long-term counselling provides survivors with the consistency and stability needed to process these experiences safely over time.

For many, it is this ongoing therapeutic relationship that helps them reconnect with themselves, rebuild healthy relationships and imagine a future beyond abuse.

At York Women’s Counselling, we are proud to provide trauma-informed, long-term, accessible counselling services to all women in York and the surrounding areas in partnership with IDAS, the local specialist domestic abuse service.