In our latest blog for Self Harm Awareness Day on Saturday 1st March, our colleague Danny Charters (Therapist) looks at how Harmless tries to break the stigma that often surrounds self harm.
An important element of Harmless, on both the individual level and as part of our wider political context, is our capacity and determination to challenge self harm-related stigma whenever we encounter it. It is very common for us to work with clients who feel judged negatively by the people around them due to their self harm, or who experience guilt when they are told they have upset or frightened their loved ones because of it. Even when this is not happening, many people carry feelings of internalised stigma and therefore assume a reason to feel guilty about it anyway. This can compound their sense of emotional isolation and add further distress to the suffering they are already experiencing. It creates a negative feedback loop.
Harmless challenges this stigma by refusing to make self harm a taboo topic. We endeavour to speak about it openly and confidently, both within the counselling rooms and outside in the wider world. Rather than assuming self harm to be something ‘bad’, we approach the topic with curiosity and empathy, doing our best to understand the role that it plays in a person’s life. Our first priority is safety and the best way to ensure that is by encouraging open and honest disclosure. In my experience, reducing the sense of fear around a topic will allow us to look at it more closely and learn more about its true nature, which then gives us a chance to do something proactive about it. At Harmless, by creating an environment free from judgement and condemnation, we give our clients some space to figure themselves out and, furthermore, figure out what it is that they would like to do next.
If you or someone you know needs support for self harm, please contact us.
For further information on Self Harm Awareness Day 2025, please click here.
