We support people in the UK who have experienced harm in spiritual or religious settings. This includes:
To find out more about what spiritual abuse it, visit our ‘online resources’ page.
If you would like support, please fill out our referral form. If you have any questions, you can contact us at supportservices@actiononspiritualabuse.org.uk.
“I just wanted to thank you for listening yesterday on the phone. I felt heard, understood and believed, which has been very healing for me.
It was such a release to hear the recognition in your voice that identified with what I was saying, where I have been misunderstood and at times criticised for my actions.
I know my journey is not yet complete, but I really feel supported by you.”
All calls are confidential (unless we are worried that you or someone else is at risk of harm. If this happens we will discuss any safeguarding action we need to take and agree a way forward with you)
Some of our volunteers have a faith, and others don’t. But whatever their beliefs, our volunteers are independent to any denomination or faith community. As an organisation we operate independently too.
Our volunteers understand all faiths and no faith. We provide support wherever you are at.
All of our volunteers have lived experience of harm in religion or spiritual groups. Callers value the fact that we “get it”
We support people regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or background. If you need any special adjustments made, just ask. We also support people regardless of their theological position on any of these protected characteristics.
All of our services are free to survivors. If an organisation wishes to refer people to us where there has been harm in that organisation, there is an expectation that the organisation will pay for the cost of that support.
We will reply to your email within 5 working days.
If we feel we are able to offer you support, we will offer you an initial call to discuss how we can help. We can support you with things like:
Support calls are offered over the phone or via Microsoft Teams.
“One of the most valuable things, apart from very good information, was the listening and discussion we had. It resonated with me and allowed me to get a framework for what had happened.
It was quite uncanny how you started mentioning things that really fitted my experience but which I had not yet been able to coherently formulate in my mind”
Our support is free to anyone who needs to access it.
Our support services cost us £60 per session to run. If you would like to donate to cover all or part of a session, you are welcome to do so.
If you are an organisation wanting to commission support services or refer people to us, there is an expectation that you will pay for the cost of this support. You can find out more on the page ‘Commission support for your organisation‘.
We do not offer counselling, and we are not able to help you processes your experiences at a great depth or support you all the way through your healing journey.
If you feel you would benefit from counselling, we can recommend Hope Valley Counselling who have a list of counsellors trained to work with people who have experienced harm in spiritual and religious settings.
As we are a registered charity in the UK, for legal and safeguarding reasons we are only able to offer support to those who are currently based in the UK.
If this isn’t you, you can still access our online resources.
During busy periods we run a waiting list, so there might be a wait before we can book in your initial call. We will let you know how long your wait is likely to be, and give you the option to join the list.
If you join the list, we will be in touch as soon as a volunteer is available and get an initial session booked in.
We never share your personal information with anyone outside of our organisation, unless we are concerned for the safety of a vulnerable child or adult. If this is the case, we will speak to you first before we contact the relevant services.
We will never give your details to any faith or spiritual organisation unless you ask us to. You can read more about this in our Data Protection Policy.
“The Charity for Action on Spiritual Abuse were very prompt in responding to my request for help and have provided me with details of other relevant support materials and services.
It was a relief to speak to someone who did not need to know my specific situation to offer applicable support and advice.“
We offer specialist support services for organisations where harm has occurred.
You can find out more on the page ‘Commission support for your organisation‘.
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