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Finding Peace Again: Healing from a Harmful Relationship


Many women who’ve been hurt in a relationship carry invisible wounds. These feelings and memories stay long after the harm has ended. The invisible wounds aren’t always bruises you can see, but they can still hurt deeply.


You might feel anxious, doubt yourself, struggle to trust others, or feel like you’ve lost a part of who you are. You might have told yourself it wasn’t that bad or kept your pain hidden to appear strong for others.


It's understandable, however, you do not need to live life this way. You deserve better. ✨


Healing is a journey, and those feelings need time and care. They won’t simply fade away on their own.


🌿 Recognizing this is the first step toward finding the support you deserve. 🌿


At Nada Johnson Consulting & Counselling Services (NJCCS), Nada offers a gentle, trauma-informed space where women, like you, can slowly begin to unpack and understand the impact of domestic violence. Whether you’ve experienced physical harm, emotional abuse, control, or isolation, Nada’s approach is always rooted in kindness, respect, and a deep belief in your right to heal at your own pace.

What is Domestic Violence

Domestic abuse, also called domestic violence or intimate partner violence, is when someone in a close relationship uses actions to control or hurt their partner.

This can include physical, sexual, emotional, financial, or psychological harm, or threats to do these things. Abuse can involve scaring, hurting, blaming, or humiliating someone.


Domestic abuse can happen to anyone. No matter their age, race, gender, religion, or who they love. It can happen in marriages, couples living together, or dating relationships. It affects people from all walks of life, no matter their background or education (United Nations, n.d.).


When to seek help

  • It is important to seek for help whenever you feel unsafe, scared, or hurt. This can be whether the abuse is physical or emotional. Here are some signs it might be time to reach out as per The National Domestic Violence Hotline:

    • You feel like you are in danger

    • Someone is controlling or keeping you away from friends and family

    • You feel hopeless, anxious, or overwhelmed

    • You have injuries or health problems because of the abuse

    • You want to know your options but don’t know where to begin


    Asking for help is a brave step. You don’t have to face this by yourself. There are caring people and resources here to support you.

How Counselling Makes a Difference for Survivors


✔ Ongoing Support for Your Healing Journey

➡ Counselling is here to support you every step of the way as you work through feelings like fear, grief, guilt, or confusion. The healing process is different for everyone, and therapy lets you move at a pace that feels right for you.


✔ We get trauma reactions.

➡ When you’ve been through trauma, your body can stay on high alert, even when there’s no immediate danger.

↪ This is called hyper-vigilance. It means you might feel anxious all the time or be easily exhausted. These feelings can make daily life and relationships harder. Counselling helps you recognize when this is happening and teaches you ways to calm your mind and body, helping you feel more in control again (Albers, 2023).


✔ You are believed, not blamed

➡ A caring counsellor won’t ask questions like “Why didn’t you leave?” or “Why did it take so long?” Instead, they listen with kindness and without judgment. Your story is important, and you deserve to be heard and believed.


✔ Therapy rebuilds your sense of self

➡ Domestic abuse can make you doubt your worth and lose confidence in yourself. Trauma-informed counselling helps you find your voice again, understand your needs, and start to believe in your strength and value

↪ Trauma-informed therapy recognizes just how deeply trauma can affect your emotions, behaviour, and relationships. According to Yadav, McNamara, and Gunturu (2024), this approach uses caring and evidence-based methods to create a safe, welcoming space where you can feel truly understood and begin to find the strength to heal and grow.

You Are Not What Happened to You

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting what you’ve been through. It’s about moving forward with kindness and care for yourself. Counselling offers gentle support to help you feel your feelings, grieve your losses, and slowly build hope for what’s ahead.


🌱At NJCCS, we want you to know your story really matters. If you’ve been through domestic violence, remember this—it’s not your fault. You don’t have to carry that burden by yourself. Healing can happen, and you deserve it. 🌱



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Sources

Albers, S. (2023, November 16). What is hypervigilance? Causes and examples. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/hypervigilance

The Hotline. (n.d.). Domestic abuse warning signs. https://www.thehotline.org/identify-abuse/domestic-abuse-warning-signs/

United Nations. (n.d.). What is domestic abuse? https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/what-is-domestic-abuse

Yadav G, McNamara S, Gunturu S. Trauma-Informed Therapy. [Updated 2024 Aug 16]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK604200/

 
 
 

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