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Writer's pictureCassandra Smith

Free Mental Health Help For Abuse & Trauma




Finding support and community which can rally around you and your healing journey towards wholeness should not be difficult. With numerous free mental health help available for abuse and trauma, we have complied numerous sources which restore a survivors voice, offer insight, and provide directional guidance.


Finding support and community which can rally around you and your healing journey towards wholeness should not be difficult.

Within this article you will find mental health support in several categories:


  • Resources For Survivors

  • Resources For Men

  • Resources for Parents

  • Support For Families

  • How To Support A Loved One

  • Resources For Ministry Leaders

  • Resources For Teachers

  • Resources For Teenagers Who Struggle

  • Building A Mental Health Safety Plan



Mental Health Resources For Abuse Survivors




Understanding Trauma


Why Are Shame And Trauma Connected?

Kati Morton


  • Defining shame and trauma, how they affect us, and how to break the cycle. She discusses ways to move through the feeling of shame and heal. Note: Some ideas are more progressive than others. Each viewer needs to consider the path they do chose and get wisdom for their own journey and if these steps are right for them.


The Impact of Trauma

TED


  • Offers Insight into the effects of trauma and how early adversity affects a life. Advocates for communities to rally for healing.


The Three Secrets Of Resilient People

TEDxTalks


  • Lucy Hone discusses three ways to administer self-care in the midst of painful circumstances.


Understanding Emotional Abuse


What Is Emotional Abuse?


  • Educational insight on the effects of psychologically aggressive behaviors, complete with statistics.


5 Must Know Signs Of Emotional Abuse

Kati Morton


  • Kati discusses ways to identify emotional abuse and what to do next.


Tools and Resources


Expressive Writing: Words That Heal

By James W. Pennebaker


  • Offers insight into the benefits of processing trauma by writing—along with specific exercises and prompts on how to find resolution.


Resources For Male Abuse Survivors





Understanding Male Sexual Abuse & Challenges For Healing

APA Division 56 - Trauma Psychology


  • Provides concise factors which affect male survivors, along with what protective factors exist.


Men Need To Talk About Their Sexual Abuse


  • Survivor Seth Shelley discusses the value of speaking your story—and finding ways to challenge the narrative of abuse.


Reimagining Masculinity: My Journey

TEDxTalks


  • One man shares his story of assault as an adult male—and his journey of recovery.




Abuse And Mental Health Resources for Parents





Parents Anonymous


  • Offers a network of in-person support groups. From website: “Groups offer a caring and supportive environment where parents and caregivers support each other and explore new parenting strategies, address underlying emotional issues, and create long lasting positive changes in their families.”


How To Recognize Abuse


  • Downloadable PDF answers the question, “How do I recognize abuse?” and “What should I do if I suspect Abuse?”


ChildWelfare.Gov Tip Sheets


  1. How to Develop Supportive Communities

  2. Keeping Your Family Strong

  3. Connecting With Your Teen

  4. Building Resilience in Children and Teens

  5. Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

  6. Parenting After Domestic Violence

  7. Helping Your Child Heal From Trauma



Helping Your Teen Through An Unhealthy Relationship


  • Article offers guidance for concerned parents to understand what their child is facing, how to discuss difficult subjects and what resources are available.



Parenting Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Abuse or Neglect


  • Printable PDF guide to understanding preventative measures parents can take to safeguard their families, along with tools and resources for youth who have experienced trauma and need strong family support through their healing journey.


Helping Your Child Heal From Trauma (tip sheet): https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/resources/tip-sheets/


Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma (factsheet): https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/ child-trauma/


Healing The Harm Done: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Child Overcome the Effects of Sexual Abuse


  • Guides parents through an understanding of their child’s perspective—along with offering support and care for parents in their own grief or pain.


Mental Health Support For Families




The National Alliance On Mental Illness has a directory of support groups for you and your family.



The Society For Adolescent Heath And Medicine has a comprehensive listing of additional support options.



The Depression And Bipolar Alliance Support Alliance offers connection to local chapters.



Family Caregiver Alliance provides a map of network help in your area.






Learning How To Support A Loved One's Mental Health




College Sexual Assault Prevention: A Parent’s Guide


  • Offers parents a comprehensive guide along with questions to ask of your child’s campus leadership in order to advocate the safety of your child.


How to Support a Friend or Loved One Who Has Been Sexually Abused


  • Offers guidance on how to care for survivors, including what to say, how to provide support, and understanding of the issue.


Things Not To Say And How Not To Approach A Sexual Assault Survivor

UW Medicine


  • A survivor shares reactions she received, how it affected her, and what she needed instead. She offers those of us who seek to provide support to a survivor insight on how to care for those we love.

Why Are Shame And Trauma Connected?

Kati Morton


  • Defining shame and trauma, how they affect us, and how to break the cycle. She discusses ways to move through the feeling of shame and heal. Note: Some ideas are more progressive than others. Each viewer needs to consider the path they do chose and get wisdom for their own journey and if these steps are right for them.


The Impact of Trauma

TED


  • Offers Insight into the effects of trauma and how early adversity affects a life. Advocates for communities to rally for healing.



Resources For Ministry Leaders




Becoming a Church that Cares Well for the Abused


  • A video-based curriculum series from professionals who are equipped to train churches and the communities they represent on how to offer the right type of support and care for those who have faced a variety of forms of abuse.


How Your Church Can Support Sexual Abuse Survivors


  • Keys for how to create an environment of support for women who are domestic violence victims.



We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crisis

By Mary DeMuth


  • From her Amazon’s description, “We like to think the church is a haven for the hurting. But what happens when it’s not?” Title is a firsthand account of one woman’s journey to find support within the church—and a call for the church to be there as a place of safety for others like her.


Understanding Sexual Abuse: A Guide for Ministry Leaders and Survivors


  • Provides firsthand insight of someone experiences abuse, how it shapes their views of life and themselves, along with what needs they have. Combined with both theological and psychological insights.


Ministry Safe Prevention & Awareness Training


  • How to put a system of prevention in place in your community. Includes prevention plans for churches, camps and conference centers, schools, youth sports, foster and adoption, child services, daycares and preschools.



What To Do When A Young Person Talks About Abuse


  • Provides insight and practical tools for leaders to support students who talk about abuse, along with how to guide them towards healing.


What Should You Do When You Suspect Child Abuse?


  • Scholastic provides an in-depth analysis of what to do, as a teacher, when you suspect a child you know is being abused.


Supporting Brain Development in Traumatized Children and Youth


  • Provides education on the impact of trauma and brain development, screening guidelines and treatment options for affected youth.


The Role of Educators in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect


  • The Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children’s Bureau has provided tip sheets and resource sheets for educators and community leaders. Complete with resources, educational insight, and informed guidance.


Mental Health Resources For Teachers Who Suspect Abuse




What Should You Do When You Suspect Child Abuse?


  • Scholastic provides an in-depth analysis of what to do, as a teacher, when you suspect a child you know is being abused.


Supporting Brain Development in Traumatized Children and Youth


  • Provides education on the impact of trauma and brain development, screening guidelines and treatment options for affected youth.



The Role of Educators in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect


  • The Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children’s Bureau has provided tip sheets and resource sheets for educators and community leaders. Complete with resources, educational insight, and informed guidance.



Tips For Talking About Your Mental Health


  • Includes several prompts which help students get started with beginning an important conversation, including a letter template. Can be utilized as a means for helping young people frame the discussion.



Resources For Teenagers Who Struggle




The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls: A Guide to Recovery from Sexual Assault and Abuse

by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann PhD LPC, & Sheela Raja PhD


  • Provides guidance from survivors, along with short, actionable prompts to build a circle of support, tools, and healing resources.


The PTSD Workbook for Teens: Simple, Effective Skills for Healing Trauma

by Libbi Palmer PsyD


  • Provides insight combined with short, actionable prompts to build a circle of support, tools, and healing resources.


Beyond PTSD: Helping and Healing Teens Exposed to Trauma

by Ruth Gerson, Patrick Heppell


  • Collaborative voices join together to address multiple sources of trauma, how it affects teens, and how to offer informed guidance and support—all with student perspectives in mind.


Time To Talk: Talking To Your Parents


  • Includes reactions to thoughts and feelings you might be having about talking with your parents and how you can build courage in order to find support.


Tips For Talking About Your Mental Health


  • Includes a letter template to help you get started with beginning an important conversation.


Expressive Writing: Words That Heal

By James W. Pennebaker


  • Offers insight into the benefits of processing trauma by writing—along with specific exercises

and prompts on how to find resolution.


Building A Mental Health Safety Plan




If you are taking a stand to heal from abuse, you know mental health often fights back. Taking action each time is a battle which is not easy. Yet, we hope that having a pathway can help you continue to seek wholeness.


Please note: Even with the best of plans, there are times in which a crisis is stronger than our plan. In those moments, seek immediate, professional help. The following ideas on how to fight back are not intended to take the place of professional help.


One such resource which has a fantastic list of tools and resources for creating a safety plan is Challenge The Storm. You can check out their advice here: http://challengethestorm.org/safety-plans-mental-health/


They even have a sample plan that any of us are able to use to help us learn how to build our own plan. You can check that out here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d893dda1257b15f27f8365e/t/5de7ea15c172cb20cebb5049/1575479830114/safety-plan-web.pdf


Building A Safety Plan - Video Discussion


Safety Plan Resources


BeyondBlue App provides tools to build and implement a safety plan.


Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Safety Plan Template.


  • 1 page safety plan print off with space to write in warning signs, coping strategies, and more.

Get Self-Help


  • Offers a second safety plan print off, with tools and resources from the UK.


Therapist Aid


  • Offers free worksheets for building a self-harm safety plan, suicide assessment, and warning signs.


Nick’s Experience With Using A Safety Plan


  • One young man’s story of how he uses a safety plan in times which feel challenging.


Processing Your Story




if you or someone you care for has experienced abuse - know you are not alone. We are rooting for you, not only once you complete your journey, but every step through it.


We believe in you - and want to walk with you.

If you are looking for a guide to help you process your story and walk a journey of wholeness - we would love to walk with you in the Abuse Matters - Change Your Narrative Video Mentorship Guide.


Check out a sneak peak below:



If you or someone you care for is in danger of harm, please contact one of the numbers below or check out our [77 resources article]



For Immediate Help:


  • Covenant House- 1800-999-9999

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255

  • Youth Crisis Line – 1800 Hit Home

  • Hopeline 1800-442-5673

  • http://www.crisischat.org/chat



For a “What Is It Like To Contact A Hotline?” Video Discussion – check it out here:


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