If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For confidential help any time, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (or text START to 88788), or call or text 988.
A domestic violence survivor support group is a regular, confidential meeting, led by a trained advocate or a licensed clinician, where people who have lived through abuse can talk honestly, learn what healthy relationships look like, and stop feeling so alone in it. That is the short version. The longer version is that abuse tends to work by isolating people, cutting them off from friends, family, and their own sense of reality, and a good group does the opposite. It puts you back in a room with people who believe you.
In my work as a clinical social worker, I have seen survivors walk into a first group session convinced they are the only one who let it happen. They are never the only one. And watching that belief loosen, week by week, is one of the more quietly powerful things I know of.
Who are these groups for?
They are for anyone who has experienced intimate partner violence, which is more common than most people let themselves believe. National data estimate that about 47 percent of women and 44 percent of men have experienced some form of contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). Abuse is not only physical, either. It shows up as coercion, financial control, threats, and the slow erosion of a person’s confidence.
Survivor groups serve people at every stage. Some members are still in the relationship and trying to make sense of it. Some left years ago and are still untangling the aftermath. Both belong. There are also groups tailored to specific communities, for men, for LGBTQ+ survivors, for particular cultural or language groups, because abuse and the barriers to leaving it are not the same for everyone.
What does the research say about survivor support groups?
Social support turns out to be one of the strongest buffers against the mental health toll of abuse. A systematic review of interventions for survivors found that most support-based programs improved survivors’ social support, mental health, or both, with reductions in depression and post-traumatic stress among the more common outcomes (Ogbe et al., 2020). Connection is not a soft add-on here. It is part of the mechanism.
Clinicians who run these groups point to a few things they do especially well: they offer shared experience that reduces shame, they pass along practical knowledge about safety and resources, and they rebuild the social connection that abuse strips away (Anderson et al., 2024). What a group does not do is fix the whole situation. Safety planning, legal help, housing, and individual therapy all sit alongside it. The group is the piece that reminds you that you are not broken and you are not alone.
What happens in a typical session?
Most groups open with ground rules, because safety and confidentiality are the whole foundation. What is said in the room stays in the room. From there, sessions vary. Some are open-ended and conversational, giving members space to share where they are that week. Others are more structured, working through topics like recognizing warning signs, setting boundaries, understanding the cycle of abuse, or coping with trauma responses.
A skilled facilitator keeps the room steady. Nobody is forced to share before they are ready, and nobody is pushed to make a decision about their relationship. The pace belongs to the survivor. That last part matters more than it sounds, because being told what to do is often part of what the person is recovering from.
How do you choose a domestic violence survivor group?
- Confirm it is confidential and safe. Ask how they protect member privacy, especially for online groups. A trauma-informed group takes this seriously and will explain their approach.
- Look for a trained facilitator. Domestic violence advocates and licensed clinicians both run good groups. What matters is training in trauma and abuse dynamics, not just good intentions.
- Check the fit for your situation. A group for people who have already left is different from one for people still deciding. Community-specific groups can also feel safer. Our guide on peer support versus clinician-led groups can help you weigh the options.
- Mind your digital safety. If an abuser has access to your devices, use a safe computer or phone, clear your history, or call the hotline for help finding a group discreetly.
- Give it a couple of sessions. Our short guide on how to vet a support group covers what to ask before you commit.
Finding a survivor group in our directory
You can search for survivor and trauma-recovery groups in the The Group Guide directory. Because many survivors also carry anxiety and trauma responses long after they are safe, our overviews of anxiety support groups and trauma recovery groups may help too.
This is a topic where directory coverage is thinner than the need. If you are an advocate or clinician who runs a survivor group, please claim a free founding-member listing. A survivor searching at 2 a.m. should be able to find you.
Other resources
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org.
- RAINN: for survivors of sexual violence, 1-800-656-4673 or rainn.org.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 any time.
- NAMI: mental health education and support at nami.org or 1-800-950-6264.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to have left the relationship to join a group?
No. Many survivor groups welcome people who are still in the relationship and trying to understand it. Leaving is often the most dangerous time, and it is a decision only you can make on your own timeline. A good group supports you where you are rather than pressuring you toward the door.
Are these groups confidential?
Confidentiality is the foundation of a survivor group, and facilitators set clear ground rules about it. Still, it is fair to ask exactly how privacy is protected, especially for online groups. If your safety depends on an abuser not knowing you are getting help, tell the facilitator or hotline advocate so they can help you take part safely.
Is a support group the same as therapy?
Not quite. A support group focuses on shared experience and mutual support, while therapy is individualized clinical treatment. Many survivors do both. If you are dealing with trauma symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, or panic, individual trauma therapy alongside a group is often the strongest combination.
Are there groups for men or LGBTQ+ survivors?
Yes. Abuse happens across all genders and relationships, and there are groups built specifically for men, for LGBTQ+ survivors, and for particular cultural and language communities. These spaces can feel safer because they meet the specific barriers different survivors face. Search our directory or ask the hotline for a referral.
What if I am in danger right now?
Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. For confidential safety planning any time, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. For emotional crisis support, call or text 988. A support group is for ongoing healing, not for emergencies.
References
Anderson, K. M., Renner, L. M., & Bloom, T. L. (2024). Mental health professionals’ perspectives on group intervention for women survivors of intimate partner violence: A qualitative study. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 report on intimate partner violence. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Ogbe, E., Harmon, S., Van den Bergh, R., & Degomme, O. (2020). A systematic review of intimate partner violence interventions focused on improving social support and mental health outcomes of survivors. PLOS ONE, 15(6), e0235177.
The Group Guide is a directory. Group leaders write their own listings, and we do not vet, supervise, or endorse the groups listed here. We are not a clinic and we do not provide clinical services or guarantee outcomes, that is the group’s work, not ours. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
Written by Stephanie Smith, LCSW.