Healing Together is a trauma-informed intervention for children aged 5–16 years old who have been affected by domestic abuse. It is delivered by accredited Healing Together practitioners for a period of six weeks.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
5 to 16 years old
Individual, Group
Healing Together is a targeted trauma-informed intervention for families affected by domestic abuse with a child between 5 to 16 years old, to support improved emotional awareness and regulation through body-based strategies.
The intervention consists of six weekly sessions. Each session lasts approximately one hour. The intervention involves children recognising what happens to their body and brain when they are feeling safe or unsafe, and learning discreet body-based calming strategies (i.e. breathing, shaking, and progressive muscle relaxation exercises) to help their body and brain to feel safe and be calm.
The intervention provides worksheets and video animations in several languages including English, Arabic, Bengali, and Polish, with options for translator support. Visual resources are designed to be representative across disability, ethnicity, and gender. All video content includes British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation and subtitles, so Deaf and hard‑of‑hearing children can participate fully. The intervention is also designed to support children with learning difficulties and neurodiverse needs.
Healing Together can be delivered on a one-to-one basis, or in a group setting with up to six children, depending on individual child needs. The cost rating is lower for group delivery and is rated 1 – low cost.
5 – 16 years old
Children who have been affected by domestic abuse and identified as requiring support
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Exposure to domestic abuse in childhood is a risk factor for multiple mental health disorders and poor wellbeing.
Science-based assumption
Trauma‑informed, body‑based approaches can help children and young people build emotional understanding and develop positive coping strategies by strengthening their awareness of how stress shows up in their body and brain, supporting safer, more regulated responses.
Science-based assumption
Children and young people who are affected by domestic abuse.
Intervention
Children learn to understand how their body is feeling and how their brain is responding to the emotions they are experiencing safely through co‑regulation with the facilitator.
Children are introduced to body‑based calming strategies to help their body and brain to feel safe and calm.
Short-term
Increased emotional awareness
Increased understanding in children of how their body and brain respond when they feel unsafe.
Medium-term
Improved self-regulation
Improved help-seeking behaviours.
Long-term
Reduced risk of experiencing mental ill health, self-harm, suicide; exclusion from education; entering care; and becoming victims or perpetrators of violence
Improved relational, emotional, and physical health outcomes in adulthood.
Children and young people aged 5 to 16 years old who are affected by domestic abuse and have been identified by community early help services and/or schools as requiring further support.
Healing Together is delivered to children and young people in six weekly, one-hour sessions by one accredited Healing Together practitioner, individually or in a group setting, depending on individual child needs. Group delivery is offered for up to six children per group.
Children take part in six structured sessions with an accredited practitioner, using video animations, discussion–based exercises, worksheets, and practical demonstrations of body–based calming techniques.
Across the sessions, they:
The practitioner who delivers this intervention is an accredited Healing Together practitioner from community early help services or school‑based support teams. This may include roles such as early help practitioners, family support workers, Family Hub practitioners, pastoral support staff, safeguarding leads, children and young people’s support workers, or domestic abuse leads.
The practitioners have 17 hours of programme training. Booster training is recommended.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one host agency supervisor.
Contact person: Dr Asha Patel
Organisation: Innovating Minds
Email address: asha@innovatingmindsgroup.com
Website/s: https://www.innovatingmindsgroup.com/healing-together-support-for-children-affected-by-domestic-abuse
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
Healing Together’s most rigorous evidence comes from one study conducted in the United Kingdom consistent with Foundations’ Level 2 evidence strength threshold.
The study observed statistically significant improvements in child-reported outcomes of not hiding emotions, verbal sharing of emotions, and differentiating emotions.
Healing Together has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 4 |
| Studies reviewed | 2 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 2 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 2 |
The available evidence for Healing Together includes studies conducted with a majority White British sample, with smaller proportions from other ethnic groups. Across the evidence base, participants were primarily White British, with lower representation of Asian and Black groups and 10.7% of participants not reporting ethnicity. Reporting on characteristics such as religion, socioeconomic status and disability was limited.
Overall, there was insufficient demographic information reported across the studies to assess representation or diversity within the evidence base.
No subgroup analyses or equity‑relevant quantitative data were reported in the available studies.
Available qualitative studies did not explore equity‑related participant experiences or other relevant barriers and enablers.
| Study design | Pre-post study (single group). |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sample characteristics | 1,097 children aged 5 to 16 years old in the UK who were affected by domestic abuse and were identified by the referral agency as requiring additional support. |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
|
| Population risk factors | Children were affected by domestic abuse. |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes | Post-intervention
|
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 2 |
| Citations | Cunneen, K., Patel, A. & Fox, C. (2026). Evaluation of the Healing Together Programme Supporting Children and Young People Affected by Domestic Abuse. Pre-print. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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