Domestic Violence Survivor: Daniela’s Story of Hope

A Domestic Violence Survivor’s Journey to Hope

 

It was a normal Tuesday morning, when Daniela sat down in one of our mentor rooms with her job coach. They were practicing her interview skills, when unexpectedly, Daniela burst into tears. “These are happy tears,” she told her coach. 

 

Just one year earlier, Daniela had entered that same room feeling trapped in a relationship she didn’t recognize as abusive. She believed her fiancé’s abuse was her fault. “Maybe if I could do this, or change that, or make fewer mistakes, we’d get along better…” she confessed. “Those are the thoughts that were always running through my mind.” 

 

She had left him several times, but each time, he convinced her to come home. The emotional grip was strong. But then a neighbor shared about Hope Women’s Center with Daniela. She was ready to try something different. After what she calls “a really awful fight,” she walked into Hope Women’s Center for the first time.

 

In those first meetings, Daniela shared with her mentor her confusion over the abuse. For the first time in a long time she felt heard without any judgement. “My mentor listened to me as I defended my fiancé’s outbursts. And she listened as I confessed I’d completely forgotten who I was. Not once did she tell me to leave. Not once did she make me feel like I was stupid for not knowing what to do. Instead, she asked if I was ok. She told me I was valuable and loved. She walked me through the power and control wheel, and that was when I recognized the abuse cycle of my relationship. It changed everything.”

Daniela went home that day but kept coming back every week. A few months later she left her fiancé for good. Now, Daniela is meeting with a job coach once a week and growing in her confidence. She shared with her coach, “I thought I was hopeless, but thanks to this place, I’ve found TRUE HOPE.”

 

Why Her Story Matters

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and across the United States, 1 in 4 women experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. (www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-statistics)

At Hope Women’s Center, nearly 100% of the women we serve have faced abuse, whether as a child or adult. Many of the crises we see like financial loss, homelessness, emotional crisis, stem from trauma that was never healed.

That’s why we support women like Daniela — a domestic violence survivor. We don’t just offer services, we build safety plans, provide professional counseling, offer mentorship, facilitate support groups, and carry her forward with care. Every resource is free, because no woman should have to choose between survival and safety.

Your support helps make Hope a safe place for women who are hurting, no matter the circumstance. 

If you or someone you know is a domestic violence survivor — or is still in an abusive relationship — you are not alone.

Visit hopewomenscenter.org and find a center near you. You can also call or text the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org for free, confidential support available 24/7.