How It's Complicated works
1
Find your therapistUse our free matching service for personal recommendations, or browse our network of 2,500+ therapists yourself.
2
Create your free accountSign up in under 2 minutes. All you need is an email and a password, and you're ready to go.
3
Start therapyReach out to your therapist and book your first session within 24 hours. Online or in person, in 60+ languages.
Learn more about physical abuse
Physical abuse is the deliberate use of physical force against another person in a way that causes or risks harm, injury, or pain. It occurs in intimate partner relationships, within families (including abuse of children, adults, and older people), and in institutional settings. Physical abuse is a form of domestic violence and is illegal; it is also rarely isolated, typically forming part of a broader pattern of control that may include psychological, emotional, or sexual abuse. The psychological effects of physical abuse can be profound and lasting, and are recognised and treatable through specialist therapeutic support.
People who have experienced physical abuse do not always identify their experience using that term, particularly when the abuse was normalised, occurred in childhood, or was accompanied by messages that minimised its significance.
- You have been physically hurt by a partner, family member, or other person in a position of power or trust
- You are managing the psychological aftermath of past physical abuse, including intrusive memories, anxiety, or difficulty trusting others
- Physical touch or particular situations trigger intense fear, distress, or numbness that you connect to earlier experiences
- You carry shame or self-blame about what happened, or find yourself minimising its impact
- You struggle with relationships, emotional regulation, or a sense of safety that you connect to earlier experiences of abuse
- You are in a relationship where physical harm has occurred and are trying to understand what happened and what support is available
Therapy for physical abuse focuses on processing the traumatic experiences, restoring a sense of safety, and addressing the lasting psychological effects.
- Trauma informed care Trauma-informed care shapes the entire therapeutic relationship around safety, choice, and the survivor's sense of control, and is foundational to all effective work in this area.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) EMDR helps process traumatic memories of abuse, reducing the intensity of flashbacks, body memories, and intrusive thoughts without requiring detailed verbal recounting.
- CFT (Compassion-focused therapy) CFT addresses the shame and self-criticism that survivors of physical abuse commonly carry, building a more compassionate relationship with yourself and your responses.
- Counselling Counselling provides a consistent, safe space to name and make sense of what happened, at your own pace and without pressure to reach a particular conclusion.
- Somatic experiencing Somatic experiencing works with the physical dimension of trauma, including the tension, numbness, or hypervigilance held in the body after threatening experiences.
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions worldwide. It's Complicated is free to use, and you pay your chosen therapist directly at rates they set.
Finding a therapist who understands abuse dynamics and who will not minimise or misread what you have experienced requires a specific kind of matching. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
Get matched with a therapist who specialises in physical abuse, or browse the directory.
