Trauma and Survivorhood
Childhood Sexual Abuse
For those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, whether as a very young child or as a teenager, feelings around the trauma can resurface in adulthood. Often people may keep this a secret through adulthood and then realize they’d like to begin processing it. Sometimes people recognize that the abuse they endured is now impacting how they move about their adult life, including emotionally, mentally, and sexually. Some people still have contact with their abuser, or they may be part of their family, and want to work on boundary setting and co-existence. Many people experience shame and guilt around their abuse as well, and may even blame themselves for what occurred when they were a child due to the complicated feelings around the abuse.
Domestic Violence
Whether a person is still in an abusive relationship or has experienced one in the past, there are major implications for mental health and well-being. Healing from domestic violence takes time and patience, and learning how to be gentle with oneself is critical to the process. Survivors of domestic violence often face concerns with trust, including trusting their own intuition after leaving a violent partner. Physical, emotional, mental, sexual, and financial abuse all deserve processing and healing from.
Adult Sexual Violence
For survivors of adult sexual violence, whether perpetrated by a known or unknown abuser, intense feelings of anxiousness, shame, and guilt may be present. Whether the event occurred two weeks ago or two years ago, living with the trauma can impact current functioning in many areas of an individual’s life. Fear, flashbacks, trust concerns, and nightmares are some of the many ways that this trauma can resurface. Some people also experience intimacy concerns with consensual partners, including letting a partner touch them, touching the other person, or engaging in consensual sexual activity.