“The world has turned from black & white, to the most vibrant of colours. I am safe. I am alive. I am ready to thrive”.

Vikki*, a female survivor of child sexual abuse, had low self-esteem, was angry and sad, and had poor mental health. She thought if she made herself repulsive, the abuse would stop. She turned to food, dressed in baseball caps, big jumpers and tracksuit bottoms. She felt un-lovable, undeserving, unworthy. As an adult she received Survive counselling which increased her self-confidence, self-care and self-compassion.

With improved mental health, she reconnected with life: “For the first time, I felt heard. Not only listened to but actually heard. I could finally breathe and it felt surreal, like I had never taken a breath before but I knew I wanted to feel it again and again as it felt amazing!”

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the survivor. Images are for illustrative purposes only.