#Vidameanslife #charity #TraumaInformed
#womenshealth #mentalhealth #trauma #therapy #recovery
#Sheffield #SheffieldCharity #mentalhealthsheffield
#VAWG #EndVAWG #endgenderbasedviolence

You can read more about our Peer Support Group here vidasheffield.org.uk/eva-support-...

The next Peer Support Group session is Mon 13th April at 10am; if you’d like to come along and try a session please call Vida to book your place on 0114 275 0101, we look forward to welcoming you 💜

Eva Peer Support Group meets fortnightly Monday mornings in term time. Women can meet others with similar experiences and take part in facilitator-lead craft activities in a safe, friendly environment. It can be a great way to reduce isolation and rebuild confidence & self-esteem.

Wild flower glass display 🎋 decoupage card making ✉️ canvas tote bag customising🛍️ trinket box decorating 💝 spring bulb planting 🌷🪻 are just some of the art activities the group have tried since the start of the year, and we have lots of new art & craft activities to come 🎨

Check out some of the wonderful creations crafted by our Eva Peer Support Group, bursting with character and colour and all totally unique!

#NervousSystem #HealingAfterTrauma #Vidameanslife #charity #TraumaInformed
#womenshealth #mentalhealth #trauma #therapy #recovery
#Sheffield #SheffieldCharity #mentalhealthsheffield
#VAWG #EndVAWG #endgenderbasedviolence

At @vida-sheffield.bsky.social, we work gently with the nervous system, helping survivors feel safer in their bodies, build emotional regulation, and develop new ways of responding.

You are not “too much.”
You are not “too sensitive.”
Your nervous system has been doing its best to protect you 💜

At some point, these responses helped you survive.
But when the threat has passed, they can continue long after they are needed.

A trauma-informed approach recognises that these patterns make sense in context. Healing begins with understanding — not judgement.

🔥 Fight – feeling irritable, angry, defensive, ready to protect yourself
🏃‍♀️ Flight – staying busy, overworking, avoiding, struggling to slow down
🧊 Freeze – feeling numb, disconnected, stuck, or unable to act
🤝 Fawn – people-pleasing, over-accommodating, putting others’ needs before your own

Understanding Trauma Responses: Fight, Flight, Freeze & Fawn
When we experience trauma, our nervous system adapts to keep us safe. These responses are not personality flaws — they are survival strategies.

Eid Mubarak! To all our clients, staff, volunteers and supporters celebrating 🌙

#Vidameanslife #charity #TraumaInformed
#womenshealth #mentalhealth #trauma #therapy #recovery
#Sheffield #SheffieldCharity #mentalhealthsheffield
#VAWG #EndVAWG #endgenderbasedviolence

#Vidameanslife #charity #TraumaInformed
#womenshealth #mentalhealth #trauma #therapy #recovery
#Sheffield #SheffieldCharity #mentalhealthsheffield
#VAWG #EndVAWG #endgenderbasedviolence

Rather than asking “What’s wrong with you?”
We ask, “What has happened to you?”

With compassionate support, it’s possible to build safer ways of managing distress, strengthen emotional regulation, and reconnect with a sense of self-worth.

You deserve support that understands your story.

A trauma-informed approach recognises that:
• coping behaviours make sense in the context of past experiences
• safety and trust come before change
• coping strategies developed for a reason
• healing happens at a pace that feels manageable

Sometimes, behaviours such as self-harm, disordered eating or substance use develop as ways of trying to cope with those intense emotional feelings. These are not signs of weakness or failure, but a sign that someone is carrying more than they can manage alone.
They are often survival strategies.

How Trauma-Informed Support Can Help 💜

When someone has experienced trauma, their nervous system can remain on high alert — or feel shut down and numb.
Living in these states can feel overwhelming, exhausting, or unbearable.

#Vidameanslife #charity #TraumaInformed
#womenshealth #mentalhealth #trauma #therapy #recovery
#Sheffield #SheffieldCharity #mentalhealthsheffield
#VAWG #EndVAWG #EndGenderBasedViolence

Nominate a charity - Movement for Good Nominate a charity for a Movement for Good award now.

Please take a minute to fill out the pre-filled form. The first draw takes place 23rd March so please nominate us now! We appreciate your support – thank you!

movementforgood.com/draws/1000?c....

The Benefact Group Movement for Good awards are back for 2026 with awards of £1,000 for charities to win! Thank you if you voted for us in 2025, however nominations are not carried over so we are again asking for your support in nominating @vida-sheffield.bsky.social 💜

✨ Please nominate @vida-sheffield.bsky.social to win £1k! ✨

#Vidameanslife #charity #TraumaInformed
#womenshealth #mentalhealth #trauma #therapy #recovery
#Sheffield #SheffieldCharity #mentalhealthsheffield
#VAWG #EndVAWG #endgenderbasedviolence

Picture: LtoR is Jane Firth (organiser), Nighat Basharat Cllr for Nether Edge and Sharrow with Vida’s CEO Karen Hague MBE.

Thank you for your support 💜

✨Connecting women ✨ Inspiring futures ✨

We were delighted to receive a cheque for £500 raised at the event for @vida-sheffield.bsky.social! The money raised will go directly into funding our specialist BACP-accredited therapy service to support women & girls recovery from abuse and trauma.

Thank you to everyone who came down or lent their support to the Central Sheffield Women’s Festival on Saturday 7th February at Sharrow Old Junior School, South View Rd.

#IWD2026 #GiveToGain #InternationalWomensDay
#VidaMeansLife #SheffieldCharity
#TraumaInformed #MentalHealth #Recovery
#VAWG #EndVAWG #EndGenderBasedViolence

Together we can create safer communities and brighter futures for women and girls.

More information about International Women’s Day can be found here:
www.internationalwomensday.com

At @vida-sheffield.bsky.social, we provide specialist trauma-informed therapeutic support for women recovering from domestic and sexual abuse.

If you would like to support our work, you can help sustain these vital services by donating here:
👉 localgiving.org/charity/vida...

So today we’re asking:
What will you give to help advance gender equality?

Giving support can take many forms. As individuals we can:

• challenge harmful stereotypes
• call out discrimination and gender bias
• celebrate women’s achievements
• advocate for safety and equality for women and girls

At Vida Sheffield, we see every day how supporting women’s recovery after domestic & sexual abuse not only transforms individual lives — it also helps interrupt cycles of harm and create safer futures for families and communities.

Recovery is prevention.

Give to Gain highlights the power of support, solidarity, and collective action. When individuals, organisations, and communities give their time, resources, and advocacy, opportunities for women grow.
And when women thrive, communities thrive too.