FREE UK Helplines and Crisis Contacts You Need To Know
If you're in crisis and need to speak to someone: Call NHS 111 (for when you need help but are not in immediate danger). Contact your GP and ask for an emergency appointment. Contact the Samaritans (details below). Use the 'Shout' crisis text line - text SHOUT to 85258
Financial Resilience - Why, How, What?
We are, as women, conditioned into our low confidence around money. A study into language used around money when targeting men versus women showed that 73% of articles aimed at men focused on investing, while 90% of articles aimed at women were around spending less. We are basically being subtly told we need help with our finances.
How To Remove The Feeling Of Shame
What the last few months or so have taught me, is that despite doing interviews and speaking to the press, sharing my story proudly, whilst being privileged enough to have mental health support through it, I still find the context and details of the night I was raped extremely difficult to talk about.
11 Ways To Support A Friend Who Has Experienced Abuse
There are horrible effects on victims of sexual assault. One of the less harmful coping mechanisms is weight gain. Survivors consciously or subconsciously gain weight to appear less attractive to be less of a target.
Your Period Is A Life Source Of Inspiration And Healing
When a woman is sexually assaulted, abused or experiencing high doses of chronic stress, her power is taken from her and with that her relationship with her body. To allow a woman to relate with herself again with confidence and vitality, the menstrual cycle has proven to be a life source of inspiration and healing.
Navigating a Healthy Relationship After Trauma
If you have experienced trauma, getting close to someone new can feel incredibly daunting. We build up walls for protection and will do anything to stop history repeating itself. If this resonates, know that it is normal and our body’s way of keeping us safe.
What is Sophrology? And How Can It Help You Find Resilience + Serenity
Over the years I have supported many clients to rebuild their lives after stressful or traumatic episodes using the mind body connection. I strongly believe that we all have the ability to connect to a place of healing inside us and with the right tools and guidance we can cultivate and access a state of calm and balance, transform our beliefs and build towards a positive future.
I Just Left An Abusive Relationship, And Here’s What I Did Next
The worst thing I did was pushing my trauma into the pits of my soul. I pushed it right down there- thinking that because I was away from my ex (and the 3rd abusive relationship in my 20s, cue unhelpful voice saying will you ever learn?) I was free from the worst.
Embracing A Healthy Relationship After Abuse
I never thought I would ever be in a healthy relationship, in all honesty I had no idea what that even meant. From 18, I was in and out of abusive relationships for 11 years. Ranging from physical abuse, sexual coercion, rape and emotional abuse and all through out this time watching my friends and people I knew having stable, healthy, normal relationships.
The Cycle of Abuse - by Caterina Maria
The beautiful thing about choosing to heal is you heal not only your own pain but those of your ancestors too, and you also BREAK the cycle of abuse for generations to come (I.e - your children & their kids etc). And what a truly remarkable journey and achievement it is!
Lucy Spicer's Expert Advice: Why do I keep choosing the wrong partners in relationships?
A common theme that has come up with our I AM ARLA members is that they feel like they keep choosing the wrong partners in relationships. This may resonate with you reading this right now. Are you trapped in always ending up in a relationship with the same sort of person and you don’t know where to even begin to change this?
Lucy Spicer's Expert Advice: Grounding techniques for coping with ‘freezing’ and flashbacks
When you have experienced trauma you may feel that you have done a lot of the healing work but that there are still certain situations that cause you to ‘freeze’, have flashbacks and feel like you are right back in the same traumatic situation as before.
7 Self-Care strategies to help manage your trauma
Let’s talk about Self-Care - something widely spoken about and everyone 'self-cares’ in their own unique way. But as a trauma survivor it is a very challenging journey and self-care can be the hardest thing to do when you can often feel very low and lost. But, being a trauma survivor is also empowering.