I was with my partner for two years and he was violent and abusive towards me – this was often witnessed by my five year old daughter. The police were involved and subsequently a referral was made to Solace Women’s Aid.

I was reluctant to leave the relationship as I felt as though I was going mad and my partner would reinforce this by saying that the problem was with me not his violence. I didn’t think I could cope alone.

Eventually I started seeing a counsellor with Solace. I enjoyed going every week and talking to someone who didn’t know me and who didn’t judge. I looked forward to seeing my counsellor. I feel as though through counselling I have been able to find myself again. She helped me to look back on how far I’d come – each week she supported me to look at the steps I was making – it helped me to realise that I was moving forward away from the darkness of the past.

Counselling helped me to discover all sorts of things I wasn’t really aware of before. I feel that previously I had never really acknowledged to myself that what was happening in the relationship was wrong, it has supported me to end the abuse.

I am now alone with my child – I can feel down sometimes but life is OK.

(Photograph posed by models.)