Karma Nirvana’s Counselling Service

At Karma Nirvana, we understand that leaving Honour Based Abuse (HBA) is not just about physical safety – it’s also about healing from the emotional and psychological impact of these experiences. That’s why we are launching a specialist free online counselling service designed to support survivors on their journey towards recovery.

This service aims to provide a safe and supportive space where survivors of HBA can access trauma-informed therapy, allowing for individuals to process the impact of their experiences, rebuild their emotional and mental well-being and gain the tools they need to move forward.

Our counselling service offers confidential, trauma-informed support tailored to the unique challenges faced by those impacted by HBA. Whatever feelings you are navigating, our trained counsellors are here to listen and support you.

Self-Referrals and Professional Referrals

Our service is open to individuals who are being referred by a professional, as well as those who wish to self-refer.

Please note for professionals: Organisations that refer three or more individuals who do not meet the service eligibility criteria will be barred from submitting further applications for six months. This measure is in place to prevent misuse of the service.

We kindly ask that you review the eligibility criteria below carefully before making a referral.

Do I Qualify for the Counselling Service?

We know that many people are seeking therapy, however, safeguarding is a key component of all our work at Karma Nirvana. Our eligibility and suitability criteria is designed to protect individuals from further harm or risk. We always aim to act with an individual’s physical and emotional well-being as a priority, and while this service may not be suitable for you at this time, we always act in your best interests.

This service is not a crisis intervention and does not provide legal or casework support, nor does it offer specialist mental health treatment. Clients needing these services will be referred to appropriate providers.

The criteria we consider for this service is:

HBA

The individual has experience of HBA or be at risk of HBA.

18+

The individual is over 18 years old.

Risk

The individual must not be in immediate or ongoing danger, and must not be living with a perpetrator.

Women

This service is only eligible for women. We hope to expand our service to cover other age groups and gender identities in the future.

Safe

Individuals must not be experiencing a housing crisis at the time of referral. We prioritise working with individuals who have safe and stable living arrangements, allowing them to focus on their mental health and well-being.

Legal

Individuals must not be involved in any ongoing legal process or crisis, including but not limited to family court processes, immigration or asylum applications. Please note that this counselling service is not a substitute for ongoing legal or crisis intervention support. This service is intended to support healing from past trauma, and legal processes can interfere with this.

Ready

The individual must feel ready to face and discuss past trauma, in a way that may be distressing or challenging at times. Sessions may involve discussions of sensitive topics such as past abuse and trauma, which can evoke strong emotions. We are here to support you through this process, but it’s important to feel ready for this before applying.

The initial application form covers all areas of eligibility. The initial counselling call will also be used to assess against these criteria, and ensure this service is suitable for the individual.

Our counselling service currently has a limited capacity therefore, applications will also be subject to our counsellor availability. You may be placed on our waitlist or referred to other services when our service is at capacity.

How does the process work?

If you have been affected by Honour Based Abuse and feel counselling could support you, please fill out our initial application form for the counselling service.

You are not alone. Healing takes time, but support is available. Let us walk this journey with you.