Recovery pathways for survivors

• Counselling and therapy

  Working with a counsellor, psychologist or psychotherapist experienced in trauma can help you process what happened at your own pace. There are many approaches, from talk therapies to body-based approaches, and a trauma-experienced practitioner can help you find what suits you. Your GP can set up a mental health treatment plan for Medicare-subsidised sessions. It is okay to change practitioners until you find the right fit, and you never have to share more than you choose to.

• Helplines and immediate support

  Specialist helplines like the Blue Knot Helpline (1300 657 380) and 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) offer trauma-informed phone counselling and can help you work out next steps. They are also there for the wobbly days in between other supports. See our Get support page [link: /get-support] for the full list.

• Peer support and group programs

  Many survivors find enormous strength in connecting with people who understand. Peer spaces like The Survivor Hub, and peer-led group programs, reduce isolation and remind you that you are not alone and never were to blame. Group settings offer something individual therapy cannot: the experience of being witnessed and believed by others who have been there, and of witnessing their strength in return.

"Left Write Hook was the first place I shared my story openly with strangers, who became, by the end of the program, key figures in my healing journey."

- Sall, past participant

• Creative and body-based practices

  Trauma affects the body as well as the mind, so many survivors find that recovery works best when it involves both. Writing helps survivors find words for their experience and rewrite their stories. Movement helps release what the body has been holding. This is the foundation of the Left Write Hook program, which combines trauma-aware writing with non-contact boxing in a peer-led environment. Research with the University of Melbourne has shown participation is associated with decreases in depression, anxiety, stress and symptoms of complex PTSD, and we have just completed a Randomised Controlled Trial to strengthen this evidence further.

"The Left Write Hook program gave me a voice I had been trying to find, offering support and guidance as I began to explore both inner resilience and physical strength. It's something I hope to keep building on as I continue this journey."

- Ali, past participant

• Everyday foundations

  Alongside formal supports, recovery is built in small, daily ways: sleep and routine that steady your nervous system, movement that feels safe and chosen, creative outlets, time with safe people, and moments of grounding through your senses. These are not a substitute for support, and they are not about pushing through. They are quiet acts of care that add up over time. Blue Knot Foundation publishes practical self-care resources for survivors if you would like ideas.

• From participant to peer leader

  For some survivors, the recovery journey grows into leadership. Many Left Write Hook facilitators are past program participants who chose to train as qualified facilitators, completing nationally recognised certifications, a six week online course and an in-person masterclass, with mental health support throughout, including dedicated time with our senior mental health clinician while delivering programs. We recognise lived experience as expertise. By supporting survivors into peer work, we're helping create more survivor-led services and expanding opportunities within Left Write Hook and the wider mental health sector.