The campaign will reinstate support groups for women and girls, who have experienced violence and abuse, yet face lengthy waitlists to access counselling. The interim groups fulfil the gap of reducing isolation whilst building coping skills and preparing survivors for therapy and recovery.
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“VAWG is endemic, systemic and a threat to society on the same scale as terrorism” (MPS 2024). Chronic underfunding means survivors face lengthy wait times for counselling. Currently WGN has 460 women waiting between 8-12months. We recognise that stabilisation is missing within the first stage of our 'HER' clinical model and that this time of limbo can exacerbate anxiety, depression, stress, PTSD adaptations and negative self-perceptions which survivors are currently left to manage on their own.
To ameliorate this problem, our ‘Held and Sustained’ groups will provide structured, therapeutic support as a bridge and pre-cursor to formal therapy. Facilitated by trained counsellors, 6-weekly online support, will offer psycho-education, stabilisation and peer support. Survivors will build emotional regulation, coping skills and deepen their understanding of trauma. Online groups will improve accessibility and reduce wait-times whilst improving therapeutic readiness, engagement and outcomes.