What Does a Domestic Abuse Survivor Look Like?

When you picture someone experiencing domestic abuse, who do you see?

We can all carry assumptions about what domestic abuse looks like. Yet the reality is that the person experiencing it might be the teacher standing in front of a classroom, the solicitor representing a client, the therapist supporting somebody else or the manager leading a team.

They may still be going to work, meeting deadlines and appearing completely capable - whilst privately navigating something very different.

For a professional experiencing domestic abuse or its aftermath, those two worlds can exist alongside each other. A call from a solicitor might happen between clients. A court appearance might be followed by an afternoon at work. An important meeting may follow a deliberately disrupted night's sleep.

Personal circumstances don’t make professional responsibilities simply disappear; this is where professional presentation can sometimes make recognition more difficult.

Being educated, successful or capable doesn’t make somebody immune to domestic abuse - and continuing to function doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t feeling the effects of those two worlds colliding.

Kristy Holdsworth: The Professional Survivor® exists to explore that intersection between domestic abuse and professional identity. The term isn’t about suggesting that one survivor’s experience matters more than another’s. It’s about making space for an experience that can sometimes be overlooked and ensuring that people who don’t recognise themselves in the expected picture can still feel seen. Nobody should be left wondering, ‘Am I the only one?’

Together, we can ensure Professional Survivors are seen, heard and validated.

Behind the title. Beyond the stereotype.