The Issues

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is the use of words, threats, or actions to make someone feel scared, ashamed, confused, or powerless.

Emotional abuse is often used by someone to try to control another person or force them to do something they don’t want to do. Emotional abuse is often used to keep someone in a situation that is hurting them or someone they care for, or to take something important from them. Emotional abuse can cause emotional, family, social, economic, and even physical distress. Even if it does not become physical, emotional abuse is abuse.

Safe Horizon offers victims and survivors of emotional abuse crisis support, including safety planning, counseling, and advocacy with police and courts. Immediate and long term supports include counseling, support groups, financial support, and help finding safe, stable housing. Safe Horizon also advocates alongside survivors and communities to change laws and institutions and expand emotional and mental health programs.

Our Programs 

We offer a variety of services for people who have experienced emotional abuse, from safety planning to mental health support.

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Community and Restorative Practices

Offering trauma-informed counseling, safety planning, support groups and more for survivors of abuse and their families.

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Hotline and Chat

Answering the call with personalized support, safety planning, and help accessing resources, including emergency shelter, for all survivors.

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Streetwork Project

Providing youth experiencing homelessness with housing, healthcare, community, food, clothing, and hygiene at two drop-in centers, with an overnight shelter available for youth under 21.

Relevant Resources

Safe Blog

Supporting Someone in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship: Do’s and Don’ts

Guidance on how to help someone navigate their path toward healing and safety.

Safe Horizon in The News

12 Heartbreaking Tweets Expose the Reality of Emotional Abuse

The #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou social media campaign highlights non-physical forms of domestic violence.

Safe Blog

5 Signs of Emotional Abuse

How to recognize key behaviors that characterize emotional abuse.