Adult Servies
Emotional Support & Counselling
Our Adult Services provide specialist, trauma-informed support for adults who have been affected by sexual or domestic abuse.
We understand that there is no single way to respond to an experience of sexual abuse, and there is no set timeframe for healing. People may come to SARAC soon after an experience, many years later, or at a point in their lives when something has brought difficult feelings or memories to the surface.
Our support is centred around you. We provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space where you can explore your experiences at your own pace, with your wellbeing and individual needs at the heart of the work.
Through our counselling and emotional support services, we can support you to better understand your experiences, explore emotions and relationships, develop coping strategies, build confidence and self-esteem, and identify ways of moving forward that feel right for you.
We recognise that asking for support can feel difficult. You do not have to have all the answers before you contact us, and you do not need to know exactly what you need. Our team can talk through the support available and help you understand what the next steps might look like.
Our aim is to provide a space where adults feel safe, listened to, respected and supported — without judgement and without pressure to share more than they are ready to.
Pathways to Support
Our support includes face-to-face counselling, helpline support focused on building resilience and emotional stability, and a paid-for counselling pathway for those who may not meet the criteria for our funded services or who are looking for an alternative route to support.
Each pathway offers a safe, trauma-informed and compassionate approach, with the aim of helping you feel supported, understood and more able to manage the impact of your experiences.
Explore the pathways below to find out more about the support available and which option may be right for you.
For many of our clients, helpline support is the first step before moving into counselling. It provides a regular, supportive space to focus on emotional wellbeing, build resilience and develop techniques to help with stabilisation.
You will have a weekly phone call with one of our amazing helpline volunteers, at the same time each week, arranged around your availability. Calls usually last between 20–40 minutes and provide an opportunity to check in, talk through how things have been, and explore coping strategies that may help you manage difficult thoughts, feelings or emotions.
Helpline support can provide a gentle introduction to working with SARAC and can help you build a toolkit of strategies and techniques before beginning deeper therapeutic work in counselling.
It is a space to be heard, supported and encouraged without pressure to explore or disclose more than you feel ready to.
Our face-to-face counselling provides a safe, confidential and supportive space to explore the impact of sexual and domestic abuse, at a pace that feels right for you.
You will work with one of our specialist trained counsellors, who will support you to explore your thoughts, feelings and experiences without judgement. Counselling can help you develop a greater understanding of yourself, build confidence and self-esteem, develop coping strategies, and work through the impact that your experiences may have had on your life, relationships and emotional wellbeing.
For many clients, counselling follows our helpline support, providing an opportunity to build on the emotional stabilisation and coping strategies developed through those weekly calls. However, the support you receive will always be shaped around your individual needs and circumstances.
Counselling is a collaborative process, and you will remain in control of what you choose to explore. There is no expectation to disclose anything you are not ready to discuss.
Our paid-for counselling pathway provides access to specialist, trauma-informed counselling for those who may not be eligible for our funded services, or who would like to access support outside of our funded pathways.
You will work with one of our experienced counsellors, who will provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space to explore the impact of your experiences.
Sessions are arranged through SARAC and take place at an agreed time and frequency that works for you. The number and frequency of sessions will be discussed as part of your support and reviewed as your needs change.
As with all of our counselling services, you remain in control of what you choose to explore. There is no expectation to disclose anything you are not ready to discuss, and your support will be guided by your individual needs and goals.