Therapy and practical help
We provide therapy and support for survivors of torture in the UK. Find out more below and complete the form to make a referral.
Please note, we are not a crisis service. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency visit the NHS website for information on getting urgent help.
Sadly, Freedom from Torture will be closing our two smallest centres in Birmingham and Newcastle at the end of January 2025. Like many charities, Freedom from Torture has been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis over the past two years which has impacted our costs and income to the extent that it has been necessary to make cost savings to ensure financial sustainability into the future.
Over the past 20 years, the wonderful teams in these centres have supported hundreds of survivors of torture to access specialist therapy, legal and welfare support to help them recover and rebuild their lives.
We would recommend speaking to your GP about referral to other appropriate services.
If you need urgent support, you can call NHS 111, or in an emergency you can call 999 or attend your local A&E department.
You may also find the following services helpful to contact for legal and welfare matters.
- Red Cross – Offers emergency help, one-to-one support and casework, special services for children and families, and family reunions
- Contact details vary by area
- Refugee Council – Provides crisis advice, mental health counselling and practical support
- Contact details vary based on area/type of support required
- Migrant Help – Provides practical support to asylum seekers
- Contact details vary based on area/type of support required
- Law Society – Find a Solicitor service
- Results can be filtered for legal aid solicitors as well as according to geographical location.
More information about our services and making a referral
Where we work
Our services are available in the UK, from our centres in London, Manchester and Glasgow.
If you are looking for help from outside the UK, visit the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims website to find an organisation near you.
Who we help
We help men, women and children who have survived physical and psychological torture.
Most of our clients have been forced to leave their home country. They are refugees and people seeking asylum.
Our clients come from more than 40 countries around the world.
Download our guidelines for more information about whom we help and how we assess referrals.
We only offer services for survivors of torture. If you are not a survivor of torture, consult your GP or another professional about the services in your area.
What we offer
We offer trauma-focused therapy to help with the effects of torture. This can include symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as nightmares and flashbacks. We can also help with complex trauma, depression and other mental health needs.
We offer further services to help our clients recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives. These can include creative group activities like music and gardening, social groups and physical therapy.
For our clients who are seeking asylum, we also offer practical advice. For example, information about accessing housing and healthcare.
We have interpreters who can attend therapy sessions and other services to translate.
How to get help
Please complete the referral form to request help. We review requests every week and will aim to respond to you within 2 weeks.
As a charity with limited resources, we need to prioritise our services to make sure that we help the people most in need of our support. To help us assess your referral, please provide as much detail as you can.
You can speak to your GP or advisor if you need help completing the form.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Freedom from Torture Centre Catchment Areas
Manchester (North West) Centre
- Cheshire
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
- Merseyside
- This includes Birkenhead, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Burnley, Bury, Chester, Crewe, Darwen, Lancaster, Leigh, Liverpool, Manchester, Nelson, Oldham, Preston, Rochdale, Salford, Southport, Stockport, Warrington and Wigan.
- The whole of Scotland
- Sees clients from TFL zones 1-6
- But responds to queries from everywhere that isn’t covered by another centre
Members of our legal and welfare service for clients are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.
