Mental Health Referrals From Domestic Violence Centers: What You Need to Know
Domestic violence centers provide safety and understanding for the most urgent moments. Yet the pain of abuse often lingers long after someone finds immediate refuge. Recognizing this, many centers now focus on connecting survivors to mental health services through formal referrals. These referral links ensure survivors aren’t left to cope on their own, but are supported in addressing the emotional scars abuse leaves behind.
If your mental health has been struggling due to the effects of domestic violence, a mental health professional trained in trauma can help you understand referral processes and heal. This guide can also help you better understand mental health referrals from domestic violence centers by covering:
- Why domestic violence survivors need mental health support
- If domestic violence centers can offer mental health support
- How domestic violence centers can refer you for further support
- The types of therapy you might encounter after referral
- What happens to your children if you need mental health support
- How Mission Connection can offer you the services you need
Why Domestic Violence Survivors Need Mental Health Support
When researchers step inside shelters and really listen, the picture becomes clearer. For example, one study looked at the experiences of 35 women living in shelter accommodation and found depression and trauma present in a high number of these women.1
The following sections take a closer look at the mental health impacts of domestic violence.
Depression
Many people who come to domestic violence centers display hallmark signs of depression. Although they don’t always describe themselves as “depressed” or report a formal diagnosis, their experiences often reflect symptoms such as:
Sadness- Difficulty sleeping
- Persistent unhappiness
- Problems with concentration
- A sense of confusion in daily life
Suicidal Ideation
As has been well documented over the decades, depression can eventually lead to suicidal ideation or suicide attempts. When we add domestic violence into the frame, things become even more concerning. For example, research found that victims of severe battering were four times more likely than non-victimized people to be depressed and/or attempt suicide.2
Sadly, almost half of the victims (42%) in the study described having suicidal thoughts. This highlights not only the depth of despair that survivors often endure but also the serious risks that come with it.
Trauma
Victims of domestic abuse also commonly report trauma-related symptoms, similar to those associated with PTSD. The DSM-5 groups PTSD symptoms into four clusters: intrusion, avoidance, negative changes in mood and thinking, and heightened arousal. Participants in a study on domestic violence reported experiences that closely reflected these categories, including:2
Nightmares- Ongoing fears
- Nervousness
- Stress
- Memory problems
- Withdrawal from daily life
These findings reflect wider research showing that people who experience violent victimisation are several times more likely to develop PTSD,3 with intimate partner violence survivors especially at risk.4 What these types of studies show is that people turning to domestic violence centers are seeking safety from harm, as well as carrying the weight of serious mental health issues. This is exactly why mental health referrals are such an essential part of support.
Can Domestic Violence Centers Help With Mental Health Treatment?
Not every advocate at a domestic violence center is a mental health specialist, but many have the training to notice when something deeper is going on.5 They can go beyond offering standard housing advice or help with legal aid and are able to recognize when someone may need more support than the center alone can provide.
For this reason, many centers have clear protocols in place for mental health referrals. These steps are there to make sure no survivor is left carrying the emotional impact of abuse on their own. In fact, under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), centers are encouraged to link survivors with a wide network of services.5 These services can include anything from outpatient counselling to inpatient treatment when a higher level of care is needed.
Sometimes the support is even closer. Certain programs bring behavioral health services right into the center itself, so survivors don’t have to wait or travel somewhere new just to be seen.6 Having those resources available in-house can make the whole process feel less overwhelming.
What really makes the difference, though, is how advocacy and therapy connect. A survivor might begin by speaking with an advocate, who then takes the time to explain the therapy options available and helps with the next steps. So, instead of being handed a number and sent away, survivors are guided across a bridge toward ongoing care.
The Domestic Violence Center’s Role in Mental Health Referrals
Once you’ve received initial help from the center, they may offer you a referral to one of the following mental health treatment options if the situation calls for further help. It’s good to be aware that the suitability of a referral will depend on your unique needs and circumstances.
Outpatient Mental Health Services
Once safety is secured, the next step for many survivors is untangling the complex emotions created by domestic violence. If your struggles don’t require you to stay somewhere overnight, you may be referred to outpatient services. This means you still get regular counselling or therapy sessions, but can return to your own safe space afterwards.
Outpatient care is steady by design. You’re given room to process trauma at a pace you can handle, knowing there are professionals alongside you who understand what wounds feel like beneath the surface.
Inpatient Mental Health Services
For some, outpatient sessions can’t go deep enough. When the weight of trauma becomes unbearable, such as when suicidal thoughts or extreme distress make daily life unsafe, a more intense level of care is often recommended. This is when inpatient treatment often enters the equation.
Inpatient support happens within a hospital, where staff are available day and night. The aim is to create a secure environment where you can step back from immediate risk and start piecing things together.
Residential Mental Health Services
For survivors who don’t require hospital-level intensity but still need round-the-clock care, a residential program may be the most effective option. These settings provide a safe, homelike environment where therapy and daily routines are woven into everyday life.
Residential care allows you to step away from the pressures and reminders of your past situation, giving you the space to focus fully on recovery. In this calm and supportive setting, you can gradually start to regain confidence and a sense of autonomy with professional help always close by.
What Kinds of Therapy Are Helpful for Domestic Violence?
This is why it can help to know what kinds of therapies are available and exactly why they’re recommended. These treatments are centered on giving you tools that match what you’ve been through and where you want to go next.7 Plus, your voice and opinions in the type of treatment you receive should always matter.
The following evidence-based treatments are commonly used for helping victims of domestic abuse:
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
After abuse, daily life can feel unpredictable, and CBT can help you deal with the negative thought process that can make you feel as though you’re in the wrong. In sessions, you learn practical ways to challenge such inaccurate thoughts and steady yourself so that day-to-day life feels less exhausting.
2. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Violence often leaves survivors asking, “Why did this happen to me?” Or, worse, believing it was somehow their fault. CPT tackles these issues head-on. It allows you to work through any guilt and shame you may be feeling, and piece together a more truthful picture: the abuse was not your doing.
3. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Talking about trauma in detail isn’t always possible, so EMDR gives another route. By using eye movements and gentle grounding techniques, it helps your brain refile memories that used to feel unbearable, so they no longer control you in the same way.
4. Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
Abuse can shatter trust in others. IPT focuses on repairing that damage, whether it’s relearning how to talk to family without fear, building new friendships, or easing the loneliness that comes with isolation. It allows relationships to feel safer, step by step.
Of course, each of these therapies takes time and patience before their full benefits can be felt. It’s natural to wonder, in the middle of everything else, whether you even have the time to commit. This is where worries about children and other dependent family members start to creep in.
What Happens to My Children if I Need Mental Health Treatment?
It can feel like you’re being asked to choose between your own recovery and your children’s wellbeing, a choice no parent wants to face. Some may hold back from therapy altogether because of the fear that their kids will be left without support, or that someone might even step in and separate them. Those worries are real, and they matter. Healing starts with safety, and this includes knowing your children are looked after.
Domestic violence programs understand these fears. Many centers now look at recovery through a family lens instead of treating you in isolation. Therefore, trauma-informed approaches often bring non-offending parents and children together in counselling sessions.8 These meetings are less about going over painful details and more about strengthening the bond between you and your child.
Both of you get space to process what happened, and you get the reassurance that your child is finding their own way through the healing process right beside you.
How Domestic Violence Centers Can Help With Child Support in Practical Ways
In many cases, those playrooms double as therapeutic spaces where kids can use art, games, or story time to work through their emotions in ways that make sense for their age.10
Some shelters also provide separate counselling for children or family-style sessions, so they have a voice of their own as well as shared time with you.
Of course, services differ depending on where you live, which is why it helps to ask questions up front. For instance, when a domestic violence center is making a referral, you could ask…
“Is there child care?”- “Are there counselling sessions for children?”
- “Will I have opportunities for parent-child therapy?”
Advocates expect these questions, and they’ll want to make sure your whole family feels supported. With the knowledge that your children are protected, you can find a sense of calm, knowing you now have the time and space to focus on your own healing.
Mission Connection: Continued Care After Referrals From Domestic Violence Centers
Leaving a domestic violence center can feel like stepping into a strange middle ground. The immediate danger has passed, but the weight of what you’ve been through doesn’t just fall away. This is why continued care matters, and why many survivors are connected with Mission Connection once the initial crisis response is over.
The aim of continued care is simple: keep support steady so you can rebuild without losing the safety net around you. Spanning several locations across the US, our outpatient programs are shaped for people who are ready to move forward but still need regular guidance. Instead of feeling like you’re suddenly on your own, you have ongoing access to therapy and a community that understands the kind of struggles that often surface after abuse.
Survivors referred to us often engage in therapies such as CBT, DBT, group counselling, and family therapy, each aimed at dealing with mental health conditions that can come from abuse. For those who can’t always attend in person, we also offer telehealth options, ensuring that support can continue wherever you are.
Whether you’ve just been referred after urgent care or through a domestic violence center, Mission Connection can be the bridge between crisis and recovery. Reach out today, and we’ll work with you to build a treatment plan that reflects your needs.
References
- Karakurt, G., Smith, D., & Whiting, J. (2014). Impact of intimate partner violence on women’s mental health. Journal of Family Violence, 29(7), 693–702. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-014-9633-2
- Straus, M. A., & Smith, C. (1990). Family patterns of primary prevention of family violence. In M. A. Straus & R. J. Gelles (Eds.), Physical violence in American families: Risk factors and adaptations to violence in 8,145 families (pp. 507–526). Transaction.
- Golding, J. M. (1999). Intimate partner violence as a risk factor for mental disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Family Violence, 14(2), 99–132. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022079418229
- Mertin, P. G., & Mohr, P. B. (2001). A follow up study of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression in Australian victims of domestic violence. Violence and Victims, 16(6), 645–653. https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.16.6.645
- Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA): Background and funding. (2025). Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R42838
- Chapter 39 Section 905 – 2020 Florida Statutes – The Florida Senate. (2020). Flsenate.gov. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2020/39.905
- American Psychiatric Association. (2019). Treating women who have experienced intimate partner violence. American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Cultural-Competency/IPV-Guide/APA-Guide-to-IPV-Among-Women.pdf
- Oseldman. (2019, April 25). Interventions. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/intimate-partner-violence/interventions
- National Institute of Justice. (2009, October 5). Domestic violence shelters meet survivor’s needs. National Institute of Justice. https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/domestic-violence-shelters-meet-survivors-needs
- Hubbard House. (2025, March 17). Children’s services. Hubbard House. https://www.hubbardhouse.org/childrens-services/
