About Us

Self injury Support is a charity. We were set up in 1986 as Bristol Crisis Service for Women to support women in emotional distress.

We particularly help girls and women who harm themselves (often called self-injury). This is how some people cope with their feelings and problems.

Our aims

• To offer support in emotional distress, and particularly to those who self-injure.
• To develop services, and raise awareness of self-injury and mental health issues, through training and providing information.

We have carried out a lot of research into the experiences and needs of women who self-injure. As well as helping to shape our own services, this work has also helped people:

• get a better understanding of self-injury; and
• find the best ways of working with people who self-injure.

We have also written ‘good practice guidelines’ for working with people who self-injure.

What we do

• run TESS text and email support for self-injury and self harm
• offer a Women’s Self-injury Helpline
• produce information and publications about self-injury
• deliver talks and self-injury training courses to professionals
• support self-injury self-help groups

How we work

Self injury Support is run by a management group. TESS and our Women’s Self-injury Helpline are staffed by volunteers, who receive full training and support for their work. Volunteers work alongside paid workers in carrying out many aspects of the organisation’s work.

How we are financed

We get funding from a wide range of sources including charitable trusts, central and local government agencies, and individuals. Much of this funding is in the form of one-off grants for specific projects.

We are always trying to secure longer-term funding. This will help us to continue our work, expand our services and respond effectively to the increasing need for crisis support in the community.