This systematic review examined multi-component interventions (combining counselling/psychotherapy with somatic practices, creative arts, nature-based activities, peer connection, and practical supports) designed to support recovery and healing—beyond symptom reduction—in adult women with histories of domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV), drawing on studies published 2000–2024 across seven databases.
Of 12,519 records screened, 15 studies (total n=861 victim-survivors) met inclusion criteria. Integrative therapies combining counselling with body-oriented practices showed favorable outcomes, including reduced mental health symptoms, enhanced social connection, empowerment, improved self-concept, and strengthened parenting capacities. Group-based formats and peer connection were key components, though effectiveness varied by individual recovery stage and context.
- Only 15 studies met inclusion criteria from 12,519 screened records, indicating a thin evidence base. - All eligible studies focused exclusively on adult women, limiting generalizability to men, children, and gender-diverse survivors. - The review calls for more rigorous trials across diverse cultural and geographic contexts, suggesting most included studies lack methodological rigor or contextual diversity.
Clinicians working with DFSV survivors should consider integrative, multi-component approaches that pair trauma-focused therapy with body-oriented practices (e.g., somatic work, yoga) and peer or group formats, rather than relying solely on symptom-reduction models. Practical supports—housing, legal, and financial—should be embedded in recovery planning, as safety and stability are prerequisites for healing.
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