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You Are Not Alone
Staffordshire Women’s Aid has a dedicated team of professional and experienced counsellors, who care deeply about their work and understand the fears and concerns that survivors carry. We provide specialist counselling for adults and young people, over the age of four, who have been subjected to domestic or sexual violence at any point in their lives.
You Are Not Alone
Staffordshire Women’s Aid has a dedicated team of professional and experienced counsellors, who care deeply about their work and understand the fears and concerns that survivors carry. We provide specialist counselling for adults and young people, over the age of four, who have been subjected to domestic or sexual violence at any point in their lives.
How We Can Support You
We work in partnership with you to expand your choices, facilitate recovery and encourage personal growth. Our approaches include:
Trauma-Informed Counselling
Our experienced counsellors specialise in working with survivors of sexual and domestic trauma. Our philosophy is based on Hermans trauma model (Herman, 1998) which offers a three-step trauma framework to ensure emotional safety during counselling. We use evidence-based approaches that prioritise your safety, autonomy, and well-being. All counsellors are trained to make sure you stay safe during the session.
Pre-Trial Counselling
Staffordshire Survive provide specialist pre-trial counselling to victims and survivors of sexual violence across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent. Please see below for further details.
A Safe, Inclusive Space
Staffordshire Survive welcomes people of all genders, backgrounds, and identities. You deserve to be heard and supported just as you are.
In addition, we offer dedicated women’s only spaces within our Women’s Centre in Stafford and Forward House Refuge.
Counselling to Suit You
Face to face counselling sessions are provided at our offices in Stafford, Newcastle under Lyme and Hanley. We also offer online, or telephone sessions or a combination of both — whatever feels most comfortable for you. For children we also offer in-school appointments where possible. Counselling lasts for 10 weeks with each session lasting up to 50 minutes.
You Set the Pace
Counselling looks different for everyone. Whether it’s been days or decades, it’s never too early or too late to seek support.
Take the First Step
Reaching out can be hard. When you’re ready, we’re here to listen and support you. Go to our referrals page to self-refer online or call our helpline on 0300 330 5959. If you are a professional you can also use these channels to refer on behalf of your service user, with their consent.
Our Therapeutic Approaches
Every survivor’s journey is unique. That’s why we offer a range of therapeutic approaches to support you in the way that feels right for you. You will receive an intake appointment with a counsellor to help you decide which approach is best for you and your individual circumstances. It’s important to remember that none of our counselling is directive, you will always be in control of what to talk about and we are here to listen, not to offer advice or ask you to share details.
Whether you’re seeking individual sessions, group support, or just curious about what therapy might look like, we’re here to meet you where you are. There’s no pressure, no expectations — just support.
‘Pre-trial therapy’ is a term used by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). It is a type of support that’s available to you before a trial or court case takes place — if you’ve reported, or are thinking about reporting, an experience of sexual or domestic violence to the police.
Pre-trial counselling gives you a safe, supportive space to work through the emotional impact of what’s happened — things like anxiety, fear, sleep problems, flashbacks, or feeling overwhelmed.
Pre-trial counselling can be vital for survivors. It offers a safe space to process trauma, help you navigate your emotional journey through the legal process, and prepare emotionally for what lies ahead. It’s about helping survivors regain control.
All our counselling options at Staffordshire Women’s Aid are safe for pre-trial counselling. Your counsellor will explain exactly what to expect and the limits of confidentiality. We have received specialist training to ensure we protect both you and the integrity of your legal case. We will establish whether your counselling will be ‘pre-trial’ when we triage your referral. This will be discussed with you and explained clearly so you understand.
Humanistic therapy focuses on your potential, personal growth, and self-empowerment. It’s grounded in the belief that you are the expert of your own experience. This approach helps you reconnect with your inner strengths, develop self-compassion, and move toward a more fulfilling life — one step at a time. We have counsellors who are trained in person centred approaches which are based on empathy, authenticity, and non-judgemental acceptance. We also offer integrative counselling which combines techniques from various therapeutic approaches to create a flexible, personalised approach that meets your unique needs. Whether it’s drawing from cognitive, emotional, or somatic approaches, we’ll work together to find what best supports your healing. We draw from modalities such as cognitive behavioural therapy, gestalt therapy, attachment theory or compassion focused therapy.
EMDR is a NICE recommended, structured therapy designed to help you process and heal from traumatic experiences. It uses gentle eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation to help “unlock” distressing memories, allowing your brain to reprocess them in a safe and supported way. EMDR doesn’t require you to talk in detail about your trauma, making it a powerful option for many survivors. *(NICE National institute of clinical excellence)
You don’t have to heal in isolation. Group therapy offers a supportive and confidential space to connect with others who understand what you’re going through. Led by an experienced counsellor, our groups focus on empowerment, shared experiences, and learning tools for healing and resilience. You are not alone — and in this space, you don’t have to be.
We are proud that many of our counsellors are trained in creative counselling which uses artistic and expressive methods — like drawing, writing, movement, music, or guided imagery — to help you explore your thoughts and emotions in new ways. You don’t need any artistic skills at all — it’s not about making “good” art, it’s about expressing yourself freely and safely.
This approach can be especially helpful if:
- You find it hard to talk about your experiences with words alone
- You want to explore your inner world through symbols, images, or metaphor
- You feel stuck in traditional talk therapy and want to try something different
- You’re looking for a more intuitive, body-based way of healing
Creative counselling is used in combination with other therapeutic approaches. It’s a gentle, empowering way to connect with yourself, release emotions, and support healing — especially after trauma.
We are proud to have counselling students from local universities on placement with us at Staffordshire Women’s Aid. You can be assured they are at the forefront of new clinical research into the ever-growing field of psychotherapy, have surpassed rigorous assessments and tests to ensure fitness to practice plus completed our own CPD accredited training programmes in sexual violence, domestic abuse and working with survivors. They can offer all forms of counselling with the exception of EMDR. You will be notified before allocation if your counsellor is a student and can be assured, they are passionate, eager and dedicated to working with survivors. They have exemplary guidance from the counselling team plus regular clinical supervision. We take our commitment to training students very seriously and work closely with local universities to provide exceptional care to our service users.
We also provide workshops to anyone waiting for or receiving counselling with us. We cover subjects such as emotional regulation work, poetry workshops, resourcing and preparing for trauma therapy. Workshops are offered throughout the year in 2-hour sessions and are delivered by qualified and experienced counsellors. All workshops are suitable for pre-trial counselling.
The BACP is a professional body that sets the standards for counselling and psychotherapy in the UK. Its main role is to make sure that therapists work safely, ethically, and professionally — so that people receiving counselling can feel confident in the support they’re getting. All our qualified and student counsellors are proud members or accredited members of the BACP. All counsellors receive clinical supervision to ensure safe and ethical practice.
Got questions?
We’ve got answers
Demand for our counselling service is high, as such we do operate a waiting list for all counselling referrals. You will be informed at the time of triage how long we estimate the wait to be. We will keep in contact with you during this time and can offer additional tools such as our ‘Taste of Recovery’ programme which is an online guided self-help resource developed for survivors of sexual violence.
Our Therapeutic Approaches
Every survivor’s journey is unique. That’s why we offer a range of therapeutic approaches to support you in the way that feels right for you. You will receive an intake appointment with a counsellor to help you decide which approach is best for you and your individual circumstances. It’s important to remember that none of our counselling is directive, you will always be in control of what to talk about and we are here to listen, not to offer advice or ask you to share details.
Whether you’re seeking individual sessions, group support, or just curious about what therapy might look like, we’re here to meet you where you are. There’s no pressure, no expectations — just support.
‘Pre-trial therapy’ is a term used by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). It is a type of support that’s available to you before a trial or court case takes place — if you’ve reported, or are thinking about reporting, an experience of sexual or domestic violence to the police.
Pre-trial counselling gives you a safe, supportive space to work through the emotional impact of what’s happened — things like anxiety, fear, sleep problems, flashbacks, or feeling overwhelmed.
Pre-trial counselling can be vital for survivors. It offers a safe space to process trauma, help you navigate your emotional journey through the legal process, and prepare emotionally for what lies ahead. It’s about helping survivors regain control.
All our counselling options at Staffordshire Women’s Aid are safe for pre-trial counselling. Your counsellor will explain exactly what to expect and the limits of confidentiality. We have received specialist training to ensure we protect both you and the integrity of your legal case. We will establish whether your counselling will be ‘pre-trial’ when we triage your referral. This will be discussed with you and explained clearly so you understand.
Humanistic therapy focuses on your potential, personal growth, and self-empowerment. It’s grounded in the belief that you are the expert of your own experience. This approach helps you reconnect with your inner strengths, develop self-compassion, and move toward a more fulfilling life — one step at a time. We have counsellors who are trained in person centred approaches which are based on empathy, authenticity, and non-judgemental acceptance. We also offer integrative counselling which combines techniques from various therapeutic approaches to create a flexible, personalised approach that meets your unique needs. Whether it’s drawing from cognitive, emotional, or somatic approaches, we’ll work together to find what best supports your healing. We draw from modalities such as cognitive behavioural therapy, gestalt therapy, attachment theory or compassion focused therapy.
EMDR is a NICE recommended, structured therapy designed to help you process and heal from traumatic experiences. It uses gentle eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation to help “unlock” distressing memories, allowing your brain to reprocess them in a safe and supported way. EMDR doesn’t require you to talk in detail about your trauma, making it a powerful option for many survivors. *(NICE National institute of clinical excellence)
You don’t have to heal in isolation. Group therapy offers a supportive and confidential space to connect with others who understand what you’re going through. Led by an experienced counsellor, our groups focus on empowerment, shared experiences, and learning tools for healing and resilience. You are not alone — and in this space, you don’t have to be.
We are proud that many of our counsellors are trained in creative counselling which uses artistic and expressive methods — like drawing, writing, movement, music, or guided imagery — to help you explore your thoughts and emotions in new ways. You don’t need any artistic skills at all — it’s not about making “good” art, it’s about expressing yourself freely and safely.
This approach can be especially helpful if:
- You find it hard to talk about your experiences with words alone
- You want to explore your inner world through symbols, images, or metaphor
- You feel stuck in traditional talk therapy and want to try something different
- You’re looking for a more intuitive, body-based way of healing
Creative counselling is used in combination with other therapeutic approaches. It’s a gentle, empowering way to connect with yourself, release emotions, and support healing — especially after trauma.
We are proud to have counselling students from local universities on placement with us at Staffordshire Women’s Aid. You can be assured they are at the forefront of new clinical research into the ever-growing field of psychotherapy, have surpassed rigorous assessments and tests to ensure fitness to practice plus completed our own CPD accredited training programmes in sexual violence, domestic abuse and working with survivors. They can offer all forms of counselling with the exception of EMDR. You will be notified before allocation if your counsellor is a student and can be assured, they are passionate, eager and dedicated to working with survivors. They have exemplary guidance from the counselling team plus regular clinical supervision. We take our commitment to training students very seriously and work closely with local universities to provide exceptional care to our service users.
We also provide workshops to anyone waiting for or receiving counselling with us. We cover subjects such as emotional regulation work, poetry workshops, resourcing and preparing for trauma therapy. Workshops are offered throughout the year in 2-hour sessions and are delivered by qualified and experienced counsellors. All workshops are suitable for pre-trial counselling.
The BACP is a professional body that sets the standards for counselling and psychotherapy in the UK. Its main role is to make sure that therapists work safely, ethically, and professionally — so that people receiving counselling can feel confident in the support they’re getting. All our qualified and student counsellors are proud members or accredited members of the BACP. All counsellors receive clinical supervision to ensure safe and ethical practice.
Demand for our counselling service is high, as such we do operate a waiting list for all counselling referrals. You will be informed at the time of triage how long we estimate the wait to be. We will keep in contact with you during this time and can offer additional tools such as our ‘Taste of Recovery’ programme which is an online guided self-help resource developed for survivors of sexual violence.
Got questions?
We’ve got answers
Speak out, Reach out!
Domestic Violence and Abuse
Survive Sexual Assault & Abuse Service
Women’s Community Services
