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

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

Aims

• To offer support to women 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.

They have carried out a lot of research into the experiences and needs of women who self-injure. As well as helping to shape the 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.

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

What they 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

Self injury Support is run by a management group. TESS and the 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.