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Therapeutic Support for Survivors

11 years ago Snowdrop began because a handful of volunteers gathered together with a vision of supporting survivors of trafficking after they had left the safe house. We had no official funding and the idea of being able to support survivors therapeutically, as well as practically, was something we could only dream about.

Two years later in 2014, two wonderful counsellors approached us saying they wanted to volunteer their time and so Snowdrop's first ever counselling service began! Finally, survivors had a space where they could begin to work through some of the unimaginable trauma they had experienced.

Now, thanks to your support, we have grown to have a Counselling Manager, two senior counsellors, a trauma-informed yoga teacher, a shiatsu massage therapist and acupuncturist, access to wonderful therapeutic art supplies and we've had the pleasure of 5 trainee counselling students joining us on their placements. 

Thanks to your support, the impact therapeutic work is having in the lives of survivors is more than we could have ever envisioned.
 
"It's like the hope, the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. They show you that there could possibly be something after trafficking... that there could be something more." 

We want to tell you about Delilah* 

We first met Delilah just a few months after she escaped a horrendous situation; she had been sexually exploited for several years, after being trafficked to the UK when she was just 20 years old.

When a client first comes to Snowdrop, they are often in a very unstable situation; they might be very unwell physically and mentally, they might not have legal status to remain in the UK, they might not speak English, their housing might be unsafe or uncertain, they might not know anyone except for their trafficker in the UK, they might have open police cases due to crimes they were forced to commit during exploitation.



Delilah was juggling all of this, all whilst dealing with the memories of the trauma she had experienced.

It takes tremendous energy to keep functioning while carrying the memory of terror. 

Delilah's mind was telling her that, even though she had escaped, she was still in danger. Her brain was secreting stress hormones resulting in hyper alertness, painful physical symptoms, panic attacks, flashbacks and trouble sleeping.

Delilah's body, her nervous system and her life circumstances were unstable and unsettled.

To attempt to dive straight into traditional 'talking therapy' with Delilah and ask her to process her past trauma in this way, would be counterproductive. 

The first step for us was to help Delilah know, in her body, that she is safe in the here and now. That she is no longer in danger.

At Snowdrop we have three different therapeutic pathways. A client's living situation, refugee status and financial situation will determine which therapy pathway would be best for them at that time. 

Teaching the body "I am safe."

Over half of our clients will start in the first pathway which is designed for individuals living in uncertain circumstances, looking at coping tools, grounding, mindfulness and stress reduction, as well as focusing on functioning by building sleeping and eating routines. This pathway also promotes therapeutic activities such as yoga, which utilises the brain's own natural neuroplasticity which over time can help clients to feel themselves again in the present. 



When we first met Delilah, she answered a questionnaire giving a number between 1 (not true) and 7 (completely true). Given what had happened to her, her answers were understandable but nonetheless heartbreaking.
"I don't feel safe anywhere" - 7 
"I don't trust anyone" - 7
"I avoid other people because they might hurt me" - 7
Delilah went on to receive counselling where she learnt about trauma, her symptoms and why she was feeling this way. She learnt how to ground herself when she was feeling overwhelmed. She took part in group wellbeing activities and relaxation yoga which helped to calm her nervous system, and she had relaxing shiatsu massage which helped relieve some of her pain from her physical injuries.

Delilah gave her answers to these statements again...
"I don't feel safe anywhere" - 4
"I don't trust anyone" - 2
"I avoid other people because they might hurt me" - 3
Little by little, Delilah is growing to trust others again and learning there are spaces she can allow herself to relax in. 
"Coming here is my safe place, it's my salvation."
We are so pleased that this body first approach (often referred to as the 'bottom-up' approach) is working and bringing hope to the survivors we work with.

"I feel as if something has let go, it is so simple but it works."
What's next?

After Delilah reaches the end of pathway 1, which takes 8-12 weeks, she can choose whether she feels ready to enter pathway 2. Pathway 2 is designed for clients who have more stable living arrangements, finances and legal status and, as a result, have more inner space to consider their trauma responses. Even if there are still areas of their life that are unstable, the client is able to manage the instability and there is a sense of agency and control over their life. There is a focus on shutting down inappropriate alarm systems in the body in this pathway which takes 16-20 weeks. 

Pathway 3 is a long-term process with no specific time frame. This is designed for when clients are settled, are able to self regulate and feel ready to process their trauma and integrate it into their present life. Our hope is that clients will one day feel able to become mentors or befrienders to other clients. In all pathways the client is in charge of the speed, pace and rhythm of processing their trauma or not. They can decide to stop at any time and can self refer back in when they feel ready again. Since designing the therapeutic pathways in 2021, we have seen 46 survivors in pathway 1, 29 in pathway 2 and 7 in pathway 3. 

Thank you

We can't thank our amazing supporters, community groups and funders who have helped to grow our therapeutic services from scratch. You have helped others see the light at the end of the tunnel.