Mother & Child Arts-Based Therapy Facilitator (Sessional)

About Woman s Trust

The charity was established in 1996 to meet the gap in specialist mental health services. Woman s Trust is led by and for women and aims to ensure that women affected by domestic abuse can live a life free from further harm and abuse. Our approach is trauma-informed and person-centred, empowering survivors on their journey to recovery from the trauma. We are committed to a positive, inclusive and equitable environment for our staff, service users and volunteers.

Alongside delivering our existing 1-1 counselling, self-development workshops and therapeutic support groups for women who have experienced domestic abuse, we are focused on developing our innovative mental health services for young women and girls, delivering new peer-led support groups and providing therapeutic groups to children and their mothers. We are also committed to developing further awareness-raising workshops and training for professionals, building on our research and policy to improve systems nationally.

Background

The lack of recognition of domestic abuse as a mental health issue within the NHS leads to delayed and inadequate support for survivors. This gap in understanding and response often result in survivors only being able to access and receive appropriate care when their mental health deteriorates to the point of requiring secondary mental health services (Women s Aid 2021). Meta analysis suggests that CBT, one of the NHS s most prescribed approaches for mental ill-health, is not the best approach for domestic abuse survivors as it does not recognise and take into account the external factors and dynamics of abuse, specifically power and control, the role of the perpetrator and the resulting trauma for the survivor.

In March 2025, WT published its first major report, Living Without Hope which consolidates existing and increasing academic, government and sector research demonstrating the significant impact of domestic abuse on women s mental health. Outlining the current agency responses at national, regional and local levels and the gaps in provision; the report also makes recommendations for change and improvement across the VAWG and health sectors.

Building on the research highlighted in our Living Without Hope report, WT has secured funding to work with key stakeholders in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to examine the links between domestic abuse and mental health, the specific experiences of Arab and Moroccan women and their access to safe, appropriate services that meet their needs.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced arts-based therapeutic facilitator to deliver creative workshops for mothers who have experienced domestic abuse and their children aged 5-12.

The workshops use creative and expressive activities to support emotional regulation, strengthen mother-child relationships, and aid recovery from trauma. Sessions are delivered in a group setting and designed to be flexible, inclusive, and responsive to participants needs.

This is a sessional role, ideal for practitioners seeking flexible work alongside other clinical, therapeutic, or creative practice.

Contract & hours: Variable hours, up to 37 workshops per year. Sessional/fixed-term contract (subject to funding).

Please note, this post is open to female applicants only Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1 applies.