It was noted with some concern by service providers in Limerick that women presenting to homeless, probation and drug treatment services in Limerick city significantly exceeded the number attending similar services in other geographical areas in Ireland. Different services were engaging with the same women simultaneously, sometimes for years, without any discernible positive outcomes for the women. Research was commissioned to facilitate a better understanding of the women’s needs, with a view to enabling services to be more responsive. The findings profile a group of women with considerable resilience and capacity for survival, despite very challenging life experiences. An Adverse Childhood Experiences analysis showed that the women in this research cohort were more frequently affected by almost all forms of childhood adversity than people in the general population. The women proffered some practical advice that could help services to be designed and delivered in a trauma- and gender-informed manner. This paper presents a brief literature review of trauma and trauma-informed care, outlines the research findings and makes recommendations for future service design and delivery.