People's Place — free counseling
Trauma-informed counseling for DV survivors, offered free through the SAFE Program.
What abuse does to the mind — and how it heals
Living with abuse keeps your nervous system on watch around the clock. Afterward — and sometimes long before you leave — it's common to experience anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, flashbacks, numbness, difficulty trusting, or a voice in your head that repeats the abuser's words. None of this means you are broken. It means you adapted to survive something that should never have happened.
For LGBTQ+ survivors, that weight can be doubled by the strain of discrimination or rejection — what researchers call minority stress — and by fear that helpers won't understand. You deserve care that affirms exactly who you are, and it exists close to home: CAMP Rehoboth's health and wellness programs, affirming therapists across Sussex County, and peer groups for queer and trans survivors right here on the Delaware coast.
breathe
Your nervous system is listening
One of the simplest things you can do right now is breathe slowly and deliberately. It signals safety to a nervous system that has been on high alert. You don't have to be anywhere or do anything — just breathe.
breathe in
Try it now: breathe in as the circle grows, out as it softens. Even one minute tells your body it is safe in this moment.
Healing is genuinely possible
Trauma-informed therapy, survivor support groups, and time help the nervous system learn safety again. Many survivors describe getting their own voice back — their humor, their opinions, their sense of self.
Ways forward people find helpful
- Trauma-informed counselors — People's Place and several Sussex shelters offer free counseling
- Peer support groups for survivors
- Journaling
- Gentle movement — a walk on the beach or a quiet trail
- Rebuilding one friendship at a time
Small is not trivial — small is how the trail is walked.
If the weight ever feels like too much
If you have thoughts of harming yourself — please reach out right away. In the U.S., call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), any hour, any day. LGBTQ+ callers can press 3 for affirming peer support, and ContactLifeline answers crisis calls here in Kent and Sussex. You matter, and that feeling can pass with support.
Mental health resources
Free and low-cost options — local first, national backup.
CAMP Rehoboth health & wellness
Health and wellness programs, support groups, and affirming care for LGBTQ+ community members in Sussex County.
Rehoboth TransLiance
Trans peer support group based in Rehoboth Beach — community, connection, and affirming space.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referrals and information for mental health and substance use.
Psychology Today therapist finder
Search for trauma-informed therapists by zip code, insurance, and specialty — filter for DV experience and LGBTQ+ affirming providers.
Open Path Collective
Sliding-scale therapy ($30–$80/session) from therapists who specialize in trauma, abuse, and recovery.
You don't have to carry this alone.
Local advocates, hotlines, and counselors are ready whenever you are.