Ahimsa Youth Service

Are you aged 16–25 and worried about how you're behaving in a relationship or towards your parents or carers? 

You might be feeling frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, or unsure about what's going on for you. You might know something needs to change but not know where to start. 

Ahimsa Youth Service is here for you. We won't judge you. We won't lecture you. We'll listen - and we'll work with you to help you build healthier relationships. 

16-25?

Looking for some support?

Harmful behaviour can look like:

  • Shouting, name-calling, or putting someone down 

  • Pushing, shoving, or physical aggression 

  • Jealousy that leads to arguments or conflict 

  • Checking a partner's phone or social media without permission 

  • Controlling who your partner sees or where they go 

  • Sulking or shutting someone out to get your own way 

  • Breaking or destroying things 

  • Pressuring someone to send sexual content

  • Pressuring or forcing someone into sexual activity

If you are worried about any of the above, we can help you understand it and work towards something different. 

How we work

Our Healthy Relationship Advocates will meet you where you are — literally. That might be in the community, on a walk, online, at school or college, at our Plymouth office or somewhere you feel comfortable. We work flexibly around you. 

We won’t judge you. We know that young people are still forming their understanding of relationships and haven’t always had positive examples to learn from. We don't label young people - we know that doesn't help anyone make changes.

What matters to us is supporting you to build something better. 

Healthy relationships look like:

  • Respectful and fair 

  • Equal — neither person controls or dominates the other 

  • Honest, with open communication 

  • Supportive and encouraging 

  • Enjoyable — you value spending time together 

  • Safe — never physically, sexually, or emotionally harmful

Support for those around you

Our Youth Service is integrated - which means that if you join the programme, we also reach out separately to offer support to anyone affected by your behaviour, including your partner, ex-partner, or parents/carers. 

You have your own dedicated worker - what they share with us stays within the team, and is never passed back to you. Our team works closely together to get the full picture - but what your partner or parent shares with their worker stays with them. 

If you're a parent or partner of a young person on the programme

We understand that this can be a difficult and frightening time. Once the young person has joined the Youth Service, we'll be in touch to offer you dedicated support - including safety planning, information about the programme, and emotional and practical support by phone, online or face to face. 

Ahimsa Youth Service supports you to achieve loving, responsible and non-abusive relationships. 

Get in touch
Get in touch

  • "From my time with Ahimsa I learnt Grounding! I now do this daily, to hold myself accountable and not blame my partner. It's nice now to feel healthy and happy."

    - Young person

  • "It's easier for me to feel anger than to feel the sadness. I don't want to feel the sadness, so I'm going straight to anger. And it works. You can avoid all them other emotions when you go straight to rage."

    - Lived Experience Advisory Group Member

  • "Out of every worker I've ever had, she's been the best. She was down to earth, listened to what I said, and I felt safe with her... She took time to hear what I was saying."

    - Young person

  • "Thank you for never doubting me, for always listening, for giving good advice and for being so pure to me. Forever grateful for meeting you. I will always reflect on our sessions and continue my journey to peace and happiness."

    - Partner of a young person accessing our Youth Service

Referrals

We accept referrals from any professional working with a young person aged 16–25 — including social services, schools, police, youth offending teams, NHS services, and youth and community organisations.

Young people can also get in touch directly and self-refer.

Information about professional referral
Information about professional referral

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Getting in touch is confidential. We won't contact your parents, partner, or anyone else without talking to you first — unless we have a serious concern about someone's safety. We'll always be open with you about what we share and why.

  • We're based in Plymouth and most of our work takes place here. If you're unsure whether we can help, just get in touch and we'll let you know.

  • That's up to you. We won't pressure you to continue. If you step back, the door stays open — you can re-engage without needing to go through a referral process again.

  • If you're worried about how you're behaving in relationships or at home, that's enough of a reason to get in touch. You don't have to have reached a crisis point. The earlier we can work with someone, the better.

  • Yes — we accept referrals from professionals working with young people aged 16–25, including social services, schools, police, youth offending teams, and NHS services. Get in touch to discuss suitability.

  • Our current 1:1 service is for young people aged 16–25. We are reviewing whether we can extend our offer to younger age groups in the future.

  • We're always interested in exploring how we can reach young people in the places that work for them. If you'd like to discuss whether we could visit or work with your school, college or organisation, please get in touch — we'd love to hear from you.

Call Us

01752 213535

Not sure if Ahimsa is right for you? Call us and we'll talk it through — whatever brings you here.

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