Leaving an abusive relationship is often described as the hardest step. But for many survivors, it is only the beginning of a different kind of recovery - one that can continue long after the immediate danger has passed.
Sunshine Coast founder Janelle Oldfield has launched The Light After, an Australian digital recovery platform created specifically for women who have left abusive relationships but are still struggling with the emotional aftermath.
While crisis services play a vital role in helping women reach safety, Ms Oldfield believes there is a significant gap in what happens afterwards. Survivors can continue experiencing anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional exhaustion, sleep disruption, intrusive thoughts and a persistent sense of being on alert long after the relationship has ended.
The Light After provides private, accessible recovery tools that women can use at their own pace, including professionally produced guided meditations, EFT tapping and somatic breathing practices, alongside educational resources designed to help survivors understand what they may be experiencing.
The concept grew from Ms Oldfield's own experience of recovering after domestic abuse.
"We have become much better at talking about how women leave abusive relationships. But we don't talk nearly enough about what happens after they leave," said Janelle Oldfield, founder of The Light After.
"Getting out was one thing. Healing afterwards was something I wasn't prepared for. I began to realise there was another layer of recovery that wasn't being talked about enough."
The Light After is designed for women who have reached safety and are navigating the longer-term process of rebuilding a sense of safety, identity and autonomy.
Alongside its paid Healing Toolkit, the platform offers free recovery guides addressing topics including nervous system regulation, trauma bonds, emotional healing and life after abuse.
The Light After is designed to complement, not replace, professional and crisis support. It was created for the women who have done the hardest part - they left - but quietly wonder why they still don't feel free. Shame can make that struggle even harder to talk about. The Light After aims to help change that, reminding survivors that needing time, support and space to heal is not something to be ashamed of.
