First, has your child shared with you that they were touched and it felt uncomfortable or weird? Did your child or teenager endure sexual abuse from someone you thought was trustworthy? Is is hard for your child to trust teachers, friends, and form relationships due to their sexual abuse? Is your child struggling with anger, fear, aggressive behaviors, frequent tearfulness, and is more sensitive? Working with a sexual abuse therapist for children can help you gain clarity regarding your child’s sexual experiences. It can also help your child process what they have been though in a positive way.
To begin, click the pink button below to work with a holistic, creative sexual abuse therapist for children.
Does it feel like the world is unsafe?
Right now, it might feel like you don’t know who to trust. Also, as a parent, you have high levels of anxiety constantly. Maybe, your child is crying frequently, having temper tantrums, and asking concerning sexual questions. As well, after experiences of sexual abuse, your child will benefit from professional help. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we help children and families realize that they can overcome childhood sexual abuse. To add, family therapy helps establish healthy, new boundaries.
What is childhood sexual abuse?
Again, when a child has a feeling that touches uncomfortable, this can be abuse. As well, when an adult or another child has the intention of sexual arousal, this is abuse. Often times, children do not understand that what they are experiencing is in fact sexual abuse. At the time, they just feel like they have to obey their perpetrator. For example, a child may experience uncomfortable feelings if their genitals are touched. Sometimes, childhood sexual abuse is a one time experience. Other times, childhood sexual abuse takes place over the course of many years in secret. If you are looking for a sexual abuse therapist for children, book a phone consult with Wisdom Within Counseling.
Frequently, there is gaslighting, grooming, and emotional and physical stimulation in the process of childhood sexual abuse.
Often times, children do not understand what they are experiencing is sexual behavior. At times, an adult will talk in a sexually inappropriate way to a child. As well, if an adult creates oral genital contact or stimulates genitals, this is abuse. But, after this experience, a child may act out. Maybe, the next day, you child seems totally different and sad. Or, they are yelling, aggressive, or angry.
How can working with a sexual abuse therapist for children reduce symptoms of trauma?
As well, there are many challenges to childhood sexual abuse that lasts into adulthood. Many times, a childhood experience of sexual abuse can create mental health issues like suicidal thinking. As well, an adolescent may develop a cell phone addiction or drug or alcohol abuse. Sometimes, teenagers who go through sexual abuse end up hurting their friends with their words. In addition, childhood sexual abuse can be painful when it is happening. And, that pain continues for many years after the sexually abusive experience itself is over.
Why is it important to seek out a specialist when it comes to working with a sexual abuse therapist for children?
Often times, a child is subject to abuse from someone that they trust or has power in their lives. Maybe, you know a child felt abuse from a trustworthy neighbor, a priest, a youth leader, a babysitter, or a doctor. At times, a baseball coach abuses the boys on the team. And, parents and children alike unknowing of the abuse, trust without question. Simply put, many perpetrators hold positions of professional esteem and power. So, no one questions them until after abuse occurs.
How can family therapy with sexual abuse therapist for children help with C-PTSD recovery?
Sometimes, each member of the family will have different emotions around the offender or the victim. On that note, the child and parents may develop complex post traumatic stress disorder. And, this is C-PTSD for short. There are many complex emotions that you can talk about when working with a sexual abuse therapist for children. For instance, after learning a child has an experience of sexual abuse, one parent might feel sadness, loss, and grief. On the other hand, the other parent might blame themselves while also feeling very angry. Also, sibling might a need a safe space to talk about their own feelings. And, they may need to digest what their sibling is going through sexually.
So, through child centered play therapy, the team at Wisdom within Counseling, can help parents understand what aggressive or troublesome behaviors truly mean.
Often times, your sexual abuse therapist for children will assess play behaviors in child centered play therapy sessions. Often times, children will not out right speak about the things that were done to them sexually. But, negative and concerning behaviors will often be a red flag that they have been through something very damaging. For instance, a child in child centered play therapy may use a doll or logo person and touch the doll in a sexual way. And, your sexual abuse therapist for children can understand what this symbolizes. Often, children will play out what was done to their body in counseling. But, you need to have a sexual abuse therapist for children, who has special training and education.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we specialize with complex post traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) and childhood sexual abuse.
As well, a child will feel safe playing in the therapy room verses at home. And, their therapist at Wisdom Within Counseling has expert training to understand sexual abuse behaviors. Also, a child who cannot put words to their sexual experiences, can feel safe playing out how they were sexually violated. Also, they can use various miniature toys and figures such as a doctor, babysitter, teacher or a parent to share their story. As well, in child centered play therapy, each child can move at their own pace.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team specializes with children who have been through sexual and physical abuse.
Children need help processing these experiences through play. Often times, a child who has been through sexual abuse will not talk to their parents. But, by working with a counselor who specializes with sexual abuse, a therapist can encourage a child to “talk” through their play.
To begin, click the pink button below to work with a holistic, creative sexual abuse therapist for children.
As well, a child centered play therapist creates an environment of safety to foster trust.
Frequently, children need someone outside of their family and outside of school. Furthermore, that Wisdom Within Counseling, play therapists who specialize with children who have childhood sexual abuse experiences. For instance, therapy tools include art, yoga, music, or nature therapies outdoors. Also, your child can process their sexual abuse experience using toys, legos, books, miniatures, sandboxes, crayons, art, painting, or even throwing the ball around outside. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we feel passionate about offering sexual abuse therapy for children.
To begin, book a phone consult to work with a creative, holistic sexual abuse therapist for children in East, Lyme Connecticut.
How can working with a sexual abuse therapist for children support future children?
As well, perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse need to be stopped. So, by opening and talking about the sexual secrets in therapy, your family can feel benefits. Now, it is important to note that sexual abuse is a painful traumatic family experience. As well, it is painful for parents, siblings and grandparents, as well as for the survivor of sexual abuse. Frequently, childhood sexual abuse brings out a variety of emotions. Sometimes, parents will feel shame, guilt, anger, or regret. As well, for a child who has a history of sexual abuse continuing counseling is very helpful into their teenage and adult years.
Many times, talking about this traumatic and painful family secret can create positive conversations for future generations.
Essentially, by talking about the sexually abusive behaviors and the past, you can open up the conversation to create a better future. As well, by talking about these painful experiences of complex trauma, your whole family can get help professionally.
What are symptoms of complex post traumatic stress disorder as a result of childhood sexual abuse?
To begin, children who experience sexual abuse and trauma often have a variety of symptoms. Sometimes, a child will be angry and rebel at school. Other times, a child will be very tearful and be emotionally unstable. In addition, a sexual abuse therapist for children can understand the root cause of the behavior. Sometimes, if your child is afraid of being touched or hugged, this can be a sign that they were touched in an inappropriate way. In addition, Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in complex PTSD and sexual abuse therapy for children. Therefore, the team of therapists treat victims of sexual abuse with family therapy sessions and child centered play therapy sessions.
In counseling for sexual abuse survivors, children who have experiences of sexual abuse can learn healthy social skills.
Children can start to learn how to have a healthy relationship with an adult that does not involve unhealthy touch. As well, counseling can help children learn healthy social skills after abuse. Plus, parents can meet in therapy around processing a variety of emotions from legal proceedings.
To begin, click the pink button below to work with a holistic, creative sexual abuse therapist for children.
In addition, parents learning about their child’s experiences of sexual abuse can learn to release grief, loss, and guilt.
In counseling, we help parents learn skills for understanding their child’d complex post traumatic stress disorder. Often, parents develop C-PTSD themselves from learning their child had sexual abuse experiences. Sometimes, a child who has an experience of sexual abuse or trauma will not easily trust other adults. Therefore, a child that has trust issues and learns not to rely on adults. So, this child will have trouble listening to teachers. And, a after abuse, a child will often not know how to develop appropriately social skills.
Therefore, child centered play therapy for trauma can help a child improve their mental well-being and move to the next developmental stage.
As well, family counseling can help parents understand their own experiences of sexual abuse as well as what their child went through. Often times, parents and families will feel shame, guilt, lower self-esteem, and mistrust in the world too. And, parents may even experience marital and relationship difficulties. For example, a child may not be able to concentrate in school after experiencing sexual abuse. As well, a child may not want to leave their parents if they have an experience of sexual abuse. Sometimes, parents and children who experience trauma develop an over attachment to each other.
Essentially, child centered play therapy helps a child and their family feel safe in the world again, slowly.
Therefore, when looking for childhood sexual abuse therapy, it is important to work with a specialist in this area. Working with a sexual abuse therapist for children means doing research. Essentially, going through child centered play therapy both for your child and for yourself as a parent helps to reduce long-term symptoms of trauma.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, we help families realize that they can overcome childhood sexual abuse and establish healthy, new boundaries.
Overall, family therapy can help promote abuse free interactions and positive boundaries. By talking about sexual abuse with your family therapist, parents can understand their child better while processing their own grief and shame.
How does counseling with a sexual abuse therapist for children work?
Many times, children need play therapy to be able to express in ways beyond talking. Plus, play therapy as the language of a child. Frequently, children do not know that they were abused in a sexual way. But, after, they simply felt uncomfortable or that they did not want to touch. Often, children had a flight, freeze, or fight response occur.
To begin, click the pink button below to work with a holistic, creative sexual abuse therapist for children.
What is flight, fight or freeze when it comes to childhood trauma counseling?
Sometimes, children will flinch you they been physically touched or abused. And, it is good to see these reactions in the therapy room. From there, your child’s therapist can understand your child’s triggers. Also, therapeutic accommodations at school may help them learn better and feel safer. And, from watching this flinching behavior, which is a protective reaction from trauma, a child therapist can make better assessments.
From there, a child centered play therapist can understand your child’s play behaviors and understand what happened.
Sometimes, a child who was touched will touch a lego or a doll in the way that an abuser was touching them. As well, child centered play therapy helps parents understand trauma symptoms. Therefore, as a parent your child’s therapist can understand if your child isn’t sleeping or eating. Maybe, your child is having trouble socially or conflict with siblings. In parent sessions, your child’s therapist can help you feel confident managing these challenging behaviors at home.
Essentially, many children do not know how to talk about the trauma and abuse that they have been experiencing for many years.
What happens when children do not get set up with a sexual abuse therapist for children?
Many times, when children get the help they need, they can live a healthy and happy life in adulthood. However, when children who have experiences of sexual trauma and abuse do not get help or therapy, they often have challenges trusting others, unstable jobs, and may not be able to hold a romantic relationship with one person for very long. As well, childhood sexual trauma is a painful experience both for the child for their entire life span and for their family. Furthermore, many children do not get the help that they need when they are in their childhood and develop drug use problems and addiction issues. Frequently, a child who was abused, learns this is an okay behavior from their dysfunctional childhood, and becomes an abuser as an adult themselves.
Sometimes, children will tell you that they have experienced sexual abuse or touched inappropriately sexually by negative behaviors.
To add, therapy can help a child who has had a dysfunctional relationship with an adult, learn healthy boundaries and how do identify abuse in the future.
So, if your child is crying constantly, aggressive, low in self-esteem, or taking part in the bad crowd, therapy can offer courage and hope.
