Therapy

Psychology Today website:  Find a Therapist or Support Group

The traumatic impacts of sexual assault, in childhood or adulthood, have long-lasting effects in many areas of a person’s life. Many victims repress these events and do not discuss their experiences until years later. However, no matter how much time has passed, discussing what occurred and how it has impacted their life, can help a person to release themselves from shame, learn healthy coping skills, and begin the process of recovery. 

If a child has been assaulted, therapy is a particularly important part of the recovery process.  The child is certainly struggling to process what happened to them and feels a wide range of emotions about it. Even if a parent invites their child to talk freely about anything, it’s very different to talk to a parent versus a therapist.  A child may try to protect a parent by not talking about certain parts of their experience. They also may need to hear from someone outside their family that what they went through was difficult and was not their fault.

A counselor specializing in sexual assault trauma can understand its impact on all parts of life and offer personalized guidance on the recovery journey. Therapy will help the survivor work through their complicated feelings to understand their experiences and move forward with hope and confidence.

Working with a Therapist

When working with a therapist, it might be helpful for them to have a list of common words used within the group of workers and friends. Several therapists created this handbook that you can take to your session to help them have a better understanding of our fellowship.
For a summary and understanding of terminology click here.