Healing from sexual trauma
Sexual Trauma recovery for children, teens, & adults
It's all my fault. How could I let this happen? I must be weak, damaged, and unworthy of love. I can't believe I didn't fight back harder or say no louder. Why didn't I do something to prevent it? I'm tainted, stained, and forever marked by what happened. No one will ever see me as anything other than a victim. I'm so ashamed of myself. How could anyone accept me knowing what I've been through? I must hide this secret, bury it deep inside, because if anyone finds out, they will judge me and think less of me. The shame consumes me, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to escape its suffocating grip.
I feel dirty, violated, and like I've lost a part of myself that can never be recovered.
The shame consumes me, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to escape its suffocating grip.
If you, or your child have had any of these thoughts before, you are not alone. Experiencing sexual trauma can be an intensely painful and distressing ordeal that leaves survivors struggling with a range of physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms. The impact of such trauma can be overwhelming, leading to feelings of fear, shame, guilt, and isolation. However, trauma-informed therapy, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, offers survivors a path towards healing, empowerment, and reclaiming their sense of peace.
Survivors of sexual trauma endure deep emotional wounds and may experience a wide range of distressing symptoms, including but not limited to:
Emotional Distress: Feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, shame, and emotional numbness are common emotional responses to sexual trauma. Survivors may also struggle with mood swings and difficulty establishing or maintaining healthy relationships.
Physical Symptoms: Survivors often experience physical manifestations of trauma, such as chronic pain, tension, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can further contribute to the overall distress and disruption in daily life.
Psychological Impact: Sexual trauma can lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares, hypervigilance, and difficulties with concentration and memory. Survivors may also engage in avoidant behaviors or develop coping mechanisms such as substance abuse as a means of managing their emotional pain.
Sexual Trauma During Childhood
Sexual abuse has a profound and detrimental impact on the development of a child. The trauma experienced through sexual abuse disrupts multiple aspects of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social growth.
In terms of physical development, sexual abuse can lead to physical injuries, impaired sexual development, and long-term health consequences.
Emotionally, children who have experienced sexual abuse often struggle with a wide range of negative emotions, such as fear, shame, guilt, anger, and low self-esteem. These emotional challenges can hinder their ability to form healthy attachments, regulate their emotions, and trust others.
Cognitive development can also be affected, as the trauma may interfere with their concentration, memory, and academic performance.
Socially, the child may face difficulties in establishing and maintaining relationships, experiencing feelings of isolation and mistrust.
Additionally, sexual abuse can have long-lasting consequences on sexual behaviors and future intimate relationships. It is crucial to provide early intervention, support, and specialized therapy to help mitigate the effects of sexual abuse and promote healthy development in survivors.
Our Trauma-informed therapy approaches, such as EMDR, offer a holistic and compassionate framework for addressing the deep-rooted effects of sexual trauma. EMDR therapy, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is an evidence-based treatment specifically designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories and experiences.
EMDR therapy can help you regain a sense of peace, improved symptoms, and decreased disturbance
Our Trauma-informed therapy recognizes the importance of providing a safe and non-judgmental space for you to explore your experiences as a survivor.
Our Therapists understand the delicate nature of the healing process and prioritize building trust and rapport with their clients.
How Flourish Mindset helps you heal from sexual trauma
Addressing Traumatic Memories: EMDR therapy focuses on reprocessing traumatic memories by facilitating bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, auditory tones, or tactile sensations. This approach helps survivors access and process distressing memories and emotions in a controlled and manageable manner, allowing for the integration of traumatic experiences with adaptive thoughts and emotions.
Identifying and Replacing Negative Beliefs: Through EMDR therapy, survivors can identify negative beliefs they hold about themselves that developed as a result of the trauma. These negative beliefs are then replaced with positive and affirming beliefs that promote self-compassion, self-worth, and resilience.
Enhancing Coping Skills: Trauma-informed therapy equips survivors with a range of coping skills to manage distressing symptoms and emotions. These skills may include relaxation techniques, mindfulness exercises, grounding exercises, and strategies for self-care. By developing these skills, survivors can regain a sense of control and reduce the impact of trauma-related symptoms in their daily lives.
Fostering Post-Traumatic Growth: Trauma-informed therapy aims not only to reduce symptoms but also to support survivors in cultivating post-traumatic growth. This process involves helping survivors find meaning, purpose, and resilience in their lives beyond the trauma.
Recovery & Resilience
After recovering from sexual trauma, you may experience a range of emotions and feelings that reflect your healing journey. While every individual's experience is unique, it is common for survivors to regain a sense of empowerment, inner strength, and renewed hope. You may feel a greater sense of self-worth, reclaiming your identity and rebuilding a positive relationship with yourself. Gradually, the heavy burden of shame, guilt, and self-blame may lift, allowing space for self-compassion and self-acceptance. You may also experience a renewed connection with others, forming healthier and more fulfilling relationships based on trust and mutual respect. As you integrate your trauma into your life story, you can find a profound sense of resilience and discover a new purpose in helping others or advocating for change. The recovery process allows you to reclaim your sense of peace, regain control over your life, and embark on a journey of personal growth and transformation.
Recovering from sexual trauma therapists
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Taylor Harris
LICENSED THERAPIST
Taylor is Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who specializes in Complex trauma. She helps her clients move forward from painful past events using EMDR Therapy, Somatic therapies, Parts work (IFS Informed) holistically with a trauma-informed approach. She can help you feel better by moving beyond just understanding how what happened to you was impactful. She wil help you develop tools to reduce your disturbance and be able to choose your responses.
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ventana GAREN
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Ventana is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor Supervised by Hanna Stensby. She specializes in helping women identifying folx heal from trauma, find their confidence and connect to their sexuality. She uses a trauma informed approach including EMDR Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, IFS informed Parts Work, and Mindfulness.
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Savannah Jaouhari
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Savannah is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor who specializes in trauma-informed care for birthing parents and mothers. She has advanced training in Perinatal and Postpartum trauma, anxiety and depression and utilizes a somatic and parts work approach . She is certified in Complex Trauma and Dissociation and has a passion for helping women identifying folx find peace and ease after trauma.
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Freyja Lentz
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Freyja Lentz is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist supervised by Hanna Stensby. She specializes in helping her clients heal from trauma using Attachment-focused therapy, Somatic experiencing, EMDR therapy, and Parts work (IFS informed).
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