Who to contact, and when

If you are unsafe or badly injured, call 999. Otherwise a Sexual Assault Referral Centre is usually the right first door. You can self-refer. You do not have to talk to the police to be seen.

NHS guidance says forensic evidence is more likely the sooner you are examined, and that it can still be worth asking after 7 days. If you might want an exam, try not to wash, change clothes, eat, drink, or smoke. If you already have, go anyway. Clothes you were wearing can go in a paper bag rather than plastic.

SARCs can help with injuries, emergency contraception, and protection against some STIs. HIV PEP is time-sensitive — often considered within 72 hours, and sooner is better. A clinician decides with you. This app cannot tell you whether you need it. You can refuse any part of an examination.

You can report soon, much later, or not at all. Call 101 when you are safe and ask for a specially trained officer. You can take someone with you. You can ask for breaks.

An ISVA — Independent Sexual Violence Advisor — is not the police. Their job is to explain your options and support you through the process, whether or not a case goes to court. Ask a SARC, a Rape Crisis centre, or a Survivors Trust service.

Compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has time limits and exceptions, especially if you were a child or could not apply earlier. Read the current guidance on GOV.UK or ask an ISVA before you decide you are too late. For England and Wales, Rights of Women publishes the free handbook From Report to Court.

Helplines are for now. Counselling is for ongoing work, and there is often a wait. You can ask for someone trained in sexual violence. You do not have to describe what happened in order to ask for a referral.

A GP can refer you, including for sleep and panic, without a full account. Specialist centres often take self-referrals. If a first session pushes you for detail before you feel steady, you can stop.

Private directories below are a way to look. Most private therapists charge. Rape Crisis and Survivors Trust services are often free and are listed under Near you. A profile is not a recommendation of that person. Ask whether they work with sexual violence, and which register they are on.

• BACP Therapist Directory

  Search registered counsellors and psychotherapists by town or postcode. Only BACP registered or accredited members can list.

• UKCP — Find a therapist

  Psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors on the UKCP register.

• Counselling Directory

  UK directory. Search by place, issue, or how you want to meet. Check which professional body the person belongs to.

• Psychology Today

  UK listings, opened on the sexual abuse filter. You can change the filters. A listing is advertising, not a guarantee of specialist training.

• NHS talking therapies

  Free NHS talking therapies in England for anxiety and depression. You can refer yourself. It is not always a sexual violence specialist service.

• COSCA — find a counsellor

  Counsellors and psychotherapists in Scotland, on a register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

• BAATN

  Black, African, Asian and Caribbean heritage therapists across the UK.

• Pink Therapy

  LGBTQ+ affirmative therapists. Search by location, approach, or identity.

• British Psychological Society

  Chartered psychologists. The BPS does not recommend individuals. Practitioner psychologists must also be on the HCPC register.

A delayed reaction is common: after a trial, a new relationship, a birthday, or a quiet patch when you finally have room to feel it. Flashbacks, shutdown, a short fuse, and feeling nothing are nervous system patterns. They are not proof that you are going backwards, and they are not a reason you have to “just move on”.

You can still use a helpline. You can still ask for counselling. You can still report. The Settle section is for the days when the practical doors are not the thing you need.

NAPAC supports adults aged 18 and over who were abused as children, on 0808 801 0331. The Survivors Trust and Rape Crisis services also work with historic abuse.

If a child is in danger now, call 999. If you are an adult worried about a child, the NSPCC helpline is 0808 800 5000. If you are under 18, Childline is 0800 1111. The England and Wales 24/7 sexual abuse line is for ages 16 and over.

Believe them. You do not need the graphic details to be useful. Do not pressure them to report, and do not contact the police or their family against their wishes unless someone is in immediate danger.

Offer practical help: a lift, sitting in a waiting room, making a call they have asked you to make. Ask what they want. The England and Wales 24/7 line also supports friends and family. Your own body can react to hearing this. That is a reason to use Settle, not a reason to make the conversation about you.