10 ways women can heal after abuse (what research shows)

Healing after abuse is not simple. It takes time, courage, and often help from others.

The effects of abuse—emotional, physical, psychological—can last long after the abuse stops. But research shows there are real paths toward recovery, meaning, and strength. In this article, you will learn 11 healing approaches backed by studies. 

For each, you’ll see what it is, how it helps, what research supports it, and steps you might try. This is not about rushing recovery but finding tools and choices that survivors can use to rebuild and reclaim their lives.

Safety First

Healing starts with feeling safe. Without safety, the body and mind stay in survival mode, unable to heal.

Therapists and trauma researchers emphasize that creating a safe environment—or reestablishing one—is essential. Baylor College of Medicine lists safety planning as a key early step for survivors of interpersonal violence. It includes finding safe spaces, limiting contact with the abuser, and getting support from people you trust. 

Safety may be physical, emotional, or social. Knowing you are not at risk today helps your nervous system begin to “unwind.”

Seek Trauma-Informed Therapy

Talking to someone who understands how abuse changes thinking, feeling, and behavior is a powerful way forward.

Trauma-informed therapy takes into account that abuse often involves multiple layers: control, betrayal, and shame. A Q&A with trauma researcher Maja Bergman describes how forms of emotional abuse—control, isolation—produce lasting psychological harm. 

Therapy that understands these patterns helps survivors not just cope but to re‐name and reframe experiences.

Build Supportive Social Networks

Humans heal better in connection; isolation keeps wounds raw.

A study of female victims of domestic violence in Sweden explored how their personal networks (friends, family, community) played roles in either supporting or undermining healing. Those with “consistent relationships” and emotional validation from others had stronger outcomes.

Supportive relationships help in multiple ways: they provide listening, practical help and reduce feelings of shame or self-blame.

Use Somatic and Body-Centered Practices

Abuse often affects the body: tension, hyperarousal, dissociation, sleep problems. Addressing the body helps release what words cannot.

Somatic therapy is one approach used for trauma. It works with breathing, movement, and mindfulness of physical sensations. Existing studies suggest it can reduce symptoms of PTSD and anxiety and help with emotional regulation.

Yoga is another example. A social worker using yoga for survivors reports that choosing small physical actions helps survivors regain a sense of choice and control over their bodies. 

Practice Self-Compassion and Mindfulness

Many survivors struggle with harsh self-judgment, shame, or guilt. Self-compassion offers a counterbalance.

Positive psychology research shows that interventions emphasizing compassion, acceptance, and awareness reduce depression and anxiety and improve resilience. In the Healing from Domestic Abuse thesis, schema change and hope comprise healthier self-views. 

Mindfulness—paying attention to the present moment without judgment—helps reduce rumination and reactivity. Recognizing when trauma memories or triggers arise and observing them without being overwhelmed is part of healing.

Engage in Expressive Activities

Healing often needs outlets beyond talk. Writing, art, storytelling, journaling, and music help survivors find voice and clarify what they experienced.

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) uses storytelling to integrate fragmented traumatic memories into a coherent narrative. It shows significant reductions in PTSD and improvements in well-being.

Expressive work can help make sense of what happened, externalize feelings, reduce shame, and help with meaning-making.

Rebuild Identity and Boundaries

After abuse, many women lose parts of their identity—who they believed they were, what they believed about themselves. 

Healing includes reclaiming identity and setting boundaries. They can be as simple as limiting contact with people who dismiss your feelings, or saying no to obligations that drain you. Each boundary reinforces the right to choose what feels safe and supportive.

Alongside boundaries, new experiences help survivors rebuild a sense of self. Exploring hobbies provides opportunities to reconnect with personal values and interests. Over time, these steps shape a stronger identity that is no longer tied to the abuse.

Join Survivor Communities

While supportive friends and family are valuable, there is a unique power in connecting with others who have lived through abuse. Survivor communities provide validation, reduce isolation, and offer examples of recovery.

Peer support groups—in person or online—create spaces where survivors can share without fear of judgment. Seeing others who are further along in their journey can offer hope and show that healing is not only possible but already happening.

Use Practical Coping Skills and Self-Care

Healing involves day-to-day practices. Rest, sleep, nutrition, structured routines, relaxation, and grounding exercises are all part of healing.

According to McLean Hospital writing on the effects of domestic violence, survivors often need to work on emotional regulation, reduce isolation, and practice stress management. These are clinically recommended coping mechanisms.

Self-care is not indulgent. It’s foundational: small acts that restore control, gentleness, agency over one’s life.

Set Future Goals With Intention

Healing includes thinking ahead, envisioning a future beyond abuse, and determining what kind of life you want, what goals matter, and what values guide you.

Future goals can be small or large: pursuing education, finding meaningful work, traveling, or simply building a peaceful daily life. Having goals shifts focus from the past toward possibilities ahead. It gives survivors a sense of agency and helps them reclaim control over their future.

Also, setting long-term goals helps shift focus from what was lost to what can be built, gives direction, motivation, and sense of hope.

Key Takeaway

Healing after abuse does not follow a fixed path. Each woman’s journey is unique and may include setbacks, restarts, and time. But research shows these 11 approaches offer real support: safety, therapy, connection, body-work, meaning, identity, and hope.

These practices do not erase what happened or make pain instantly disappear. They help survivors reclaim power, build resilience, and live with dignity and purpose. If you are healing, you do not have to walk alone—finding support, believing in small steps, and honoring your strength matter more than perfect progress.

The 15 Things Women Only Do With the Men They Love

The 15 Things Women Only Do With the Men They Love

Love is a complex, beautiful emotion that inspires profound behaviors. We express our love in various ways, some universal, while others are unique to each individual. Among these expressions, there are specific actions women often reserve for the men they deeply love.

This piece explores 15 unique gestures women make when they’re in love. From tiny, almost invisible actions to grand declarations, each tells a story of deep affection and unwavering commitment.