Resources
You are not alone in this
Healing doesn't happen in one place, or alone. This page gathers some of the people, organisations and books we trust: for moments of crisis, for finding professional support when you want it, and for reading at your own pace.
We have put services run by and for women first, and marked each one ‘For women’ or ‘For everyone’.
DoraVera is not a crisis service, and these organisations are independent. If someone might see your phone or screen, you may prefer to use a private browsing window, and note that history may show this page. There is more information in the app.
United Kingdom
Rape Crisis England & Wales: 0808 500 2222.
24 hours, every day. Phone, and online chat for women and girls aged 16+. Sexual violence, any time it happened. For women (chat) · For everyone (phone)
Rape Crisis Scotland: 08088 01 03 02.
Every evening, 5pm to midnight.
Live Fear Free (Wales): 0808 80 10 800.
24 hours. Text 07860 077 333. Domestic abuse and sexual violence. For everyone
Northern Ireland, domestic and sexual abuse helpline: 0808 802 1414
hours. For everyone
Samaritans: 116 123 hours. For anyone in distress. For everyone
Emergency services: 999. Non-
emergency police: 101.
Recent assault?
Sexual Assault Referral Centres (England and Wales) and, in Scotland, SARCS (0800 148 88 88, 24 hours) within 7 days of an assault offer medical care and, if you want it, forensic examination. Many don't require you to report to the police. Check what's available near you.
Other specialist lines (UK)
FGM helpline 0800 028 3550 .
Modern slavery and exploitation helpline 08000 121 700 (24 hours).
United States
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673).
24 hours, with online chat. For everyone
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
call or text 988. 24 hours. For everyone
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.
Text START to 88788. 24 hours. For everyone
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888.
For everyone
Emergency services: 911.
Europe and Ireland
European emergency number: 112
(works across the EU).
Ireland: Dublin Rape Crisis Centre National Helpline, 1800 77 8888.
24 hours. For everyone
Germany: Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen, 116 016.
24 hours, free, in many languages. For women
France: 3919 (Violences Femmes Info).
Free, anonymous, 24 hours. Not an emergency line: for emergencies call 17 or 112. For women
Other countries
Befrienders Worldwide lists emotional-support lines by country. (More countries will be added as our community grows.)
A note on using these services
These are independent services run by trained people. Most offer confidential support, but policies vary, so you're welcome to ask about confidentiality at the start of a call. Many numbers are free only from within their own country. They are not here to tell you what to do, but to help you ground, breathe and find safety in the present moment.
Books
We've included books written by women who work with survivors, and added a few classics. These are not endorsements, and no book suits everyone, so be gentle with yourself and put anything down that feels like too much.
Trauma and Recovery
by Judith Herman: the landmark book on how trauma affects people and how recovery unfolds.
The Sexual Healing Journey
by Wendy Maltz: gentle, compassionate work on rebuilding intimacy and sexuality after abuse.
The Courage to Heal
by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis: the classic guide for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, with practical exercises alongside validation and hope. It’s a little dated and quite heavy, so be discerning.
It Wasn't Your Fault
by Beverly Engel: dismantles the shame that often follows childhood abuse, using self-compassion.
Healing Sex
by Staci Haines: somatic and body-centred, excellent if you want the physical dimension addressed directly.
Rage Becomes Her
by Soraya Chemaly: on women's anger and what it can become.
Imperfectly Perfect
Notes from a healing life: honest, unfinished and true.
The Journal is where the rubber meets the road: real stories, real reflections, and the stubborn discovery that healing isn't a straight line. It's a spiral staircase, and the view improves.
I write about the long road: what I've learned, what I'm still learning, and what it's been like to build DoraVera. Some stories touch on sexual trauma, and each one begins with a content note, so you can choose whether to read.
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