Often, when a person experiences sexual assault, there is not much justice. Only in a few instances does a sexual assault victim see their perpetrator put behind bars. Every day, sexual assaults occur and victims are forced to deal with the severe symptoms of PTSD and trauma alone. To note, a sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without consent. Consent is verbal or written permission to allow touch. Unfortunately, victims of sexual assault may have experienced unwanted touching, rape, fondling, molestation, and attempted rape. These traumatic situations lead victims of sexual assault to develop anxiety, hyper vigilance worrying if something like this will happen again, and a general mistrust of sexual relationships. Counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy are available at Wisdom Within Counseling.
What is a creative therapy you can do at Wisdom Within Counseling?
Well, yoga therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and creative expressive arts can heal trauma symptoms. Parts of healing from sexual assault, rape, or sexual trauma include feeling safe in the world again. In your counselor’s office, you can release anger, anxiety, loss, and shame through holistic, alternative, and creative therapies. Oftentimes, victims of sexual assault were silenced for so long that talking about the sexual abuse incident can be difficult. Therefore, art, painting, yoga, movement therapies, and nature therapies can support expression beyond words. Experiencing sexual abuse, sexual trauma, and sexual assault leaves a scar emotionally and has a lasting impact on the victim or survivor. If you have been through sexual assault, holistic trauma therapy can help you recreate your life. You may need professional therapeutic help feeling safe, empowered, motivated, nurtured, and courageous again.
How can yoga therapy help sexual assault survivors in counseling?
Yoga therapy may be one of those alternative counseling methods that you’re curious about. Sometimes, EMDR gets all the media. A lot of people know about EMDR as a trauma and complex PTSD therapy. But, there is an equal amount of research stating how yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors is healing. Yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors helps reduce anxiety, fear, anger, and disassociation. As well, yoga is a mind-body, somatic trauma therapy that reconnects a person with their mind and body. After sexual trauma, it feels like there’s a lot outside of your control. The world no longer feels safe and your joy is stolen by the symptoms and memories of sexual trauma. Yoga therapy, art, therapy, music therapy, and nature therapy can actually help you regain inner power and inner peace.
The creative, holistic therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling specialize in helping survivors of sexual abuse heal.
At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team helps victims of sexual assault recover from PTSD. Sexual violence is a traumatic event. When a person is sexually assaulted, they are taken advantage of. An abusive person or group of people use power and control to violate consensual boundaries. Sexual abuse includes child pornography, rape, sexual child abuse, incest, fondling, attempted rape, human trafficking, sexual harassment, and unwanted sexual touch or contact. Unfortunately, many victims of sexual assault blame themselves for things that are not their fault.
Counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy teaches victims and survivors that they are not to blame.
Many times, victims of sexual assault will go over the memories over and over in their mind, often blaming themselves. Also, after a sexual assault, society and culture tends to blame the victim. In Southeastern Connecticut, PTSD therapy helps victims feel confident, gain self-worth skills, and heal from painful memories. Healing from sexual assault is a process of regaining a strong view of consent and a strong voice.
To begin, book your free phone consultation for holistic counseling and yoga therapy to rebuild self-compassion after sexual abuse using the button below.
How can yoga therapy help sexual assault survivors in counseling?
Sexual abuse can occur and happen to a person at any age. A young toddler, an adolescent, college student, spouse, or grandparent can all be sexually assaulted. Often, victims of sexual assault feel shame to come forward and talk about their story. In counseling for sexual abuse victims, you can really nurture yourself.
What are some symptoms of PTSD?
You can learn and practice self-soothing skills. A lot of times, after post-traumatic stress disorder and traumas, there are high anxiety moments.
You may feel on edge at work and at home. After a sexual assault, you may feel you are walking on eggshells. Then, you might be wondering when the next trauma is going to happen, or when someone else is going to leave you or abandon you. Fear and anxiety are at an all time high after trauma.
What are symptoms a person experiences after a sexual assault or sexual trauma?
Pain or itching in the genital area is a sign of sexual assault. Bruises or bleeding in external genitalia, or nightmares and sleep disturbances are signs of sexual assault. Frequent stomach illness, loss of appetite, or trouble eating are signs of sexual assault.
Children may experience urinary tract infections after a sexual assault. Fear of bedtime or fear of going to sleep are common in sexual assault survivors of all ages. Fear of certain people or places such as not wanting to be left alone is common. After sexual assault survivors, regression to younger behaviors such as bed-wetting is common.
Play therapy can help young children talk about sexual assault and sexual trauma
Your little one may be a victim of sexual assault. They may feel torn between caring for their perpetrator, especially if their perpetrator is a family member, and talking about what they know is going on. Art, yoga, music, and nature therapies help victims of sexual assault release memories from the sexual abuse. Your young child may not have the vocabulary or language skills to talk about what has happened either.
How can play therapy help a young child who is a victim of sexual assault?
Therefore, play therapy can help you child tell thier story of when someone touched their genitals, kissed them, or was stroking them. Also, children may not know how to talk about sexual assault. Sometimes, a perpetrator uses pressuring, manipulation or scare tactics to get a young child to perform a sexual act. Then, a perpetrator makes them promise to keep it a secret. Even though the touching is sexual assault, a child may truly believe they have to keep it a secret.
Symptoms of sexual trauma, sexual abuse, and sexual assault in children and adults
Children may show an abnormal interest in sex or have knowledge of sexual matters that are inappropriate. At times, victims of sexual assault survivors may have an obsession with masturbation. Children may feel like they have to keep sexual abuse a secret, especially when a loved one is doing it.
Self-blame is a common topic in counseling for sexual assault survivors.
Sexual assault does not just happen to one gender, age group of ethnicity. Rather, all ages, from toddlers, to teens, to adults, to elders may experience unwanted touch. No matter your age, if the touch was sexual and unwanted, you may a victim of sexual assault. Often, a victim of sexual assault will not be able to stop thinking about the event. On repeat, a victim’s mind will hyper focus on sexual trauma memories. This can lead to trouble sleeping, appetite loss, low motivation, unemployment, tearfulness, and other psychological symptoms.
Sexual abuse may occur from someone very close to the victim like a parent, friend, spouse, grandparent, relative, sexual partner, uncle, or coach.
When a loved one is a perpetrator, this is what can complicate healing. Counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy can help victims decide what type of relationship they want to have moving forward with their perpetrator. Some victims will visit their perpetrator in jail and others cease all contact. Trauma and PTSD counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut can help you create healing and gain inner peace.
Therapy teaches survivors that sexual assault and sexual abuse is NEVER the victim or survivor’s fault.
After sexual abuse, all ages of people may show an unexplained fear or dislike of certain people. The place where abuse occurred, like a college dorm or neighbor’s house, may be avoided at all costs. Anxiety, depression and social withdrawal are common after sexual trauma. Lack of confidence and body shame are very real symptoms for victims of rape, incest, sexual abuse and sexual assault. Sudden mood swings including panic, tearfulness, rage, fear, anger, and social avoidance are common.
If you’ve gone through a traumatic incident, you have a high level of anxiety or you feel nervous all the time.
For those with trauma based anxiety, yoga therapy can help you build relaxation tools. As well, you may have tried traditional talk counseling and it just doesn’t feel like the right fit for you.
Talking alone in therapy can lead to more negative feelings about trauma and reliving it all over. Instead, yoga therapy is an alternative method that can help you heal from sexual abuse the inside out. Yoga therapy is all about connecting to your mind, body and spirit. As well, yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors helps in building a sense of empowerment.
After sexual abuse, it might feel like there is shame around your body.
Sexual assault survivors often feel low in self-worth, struggle with depression, and have trouble concentrating.
You may have gotten out of an abusive relationship or experienced sexual assault in college. Or, you experienced childhood sexual trauma and abuse. Holistic, mind-body therapies like art, yoga, music, and walking therapies help you take back your personal power over the trauma memories. As well, meditation, yoga poses, and yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors helps you find yourself again.
Yoga therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and nature therapy can really help survivors of sexual assault, incest, sexual abuse, and rape heal.
So, it’s a method that is evidence-based for trauma that promotes self-love. When we look at healing from PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, we specialize in connecting mind and body. The team of holistic therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut specialize in helping survivors of sexual abuse and sexual assault heal from trauma and PTSD.
To begin, book your free phone consultation for holistic counseling and yoga therapy to build C-PTSD positive coping tools using the button below.
How does the brain change after trauma?
When you go through a traumatic incident such as sexual abuse, you lost your sense of safety. Maybe, your child is a victim of sexual abuse from a grandparent, and they are also dealing with peer pressure, homework struggles, and daily stress of being in high school. As well, with any kind of sexual, physical or emotional abuse, it is difficult to feel safe afterwards. Complex trauma is when you survive sexual assault, but then go through loss of a parent suddenly.
What is complex PTSD?
Complex trauma impacts mind, body, and spirit. After you experience unwanted touch or sexual abuse, you then experience another loss. You might be caring for a sibling with mental health issues on top of deal with your own trauma symptoms. As well, you might be caring for your children on top of overcoming rape. You might be caring for a partner who’s struggling with addiction as well as healing childhood sexual abuse.
Yoga therapy can support healing and recovering from complex PTSD.
So, yoga therapy can help you have a safe place to unload it all. Through yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors, you can refill your bucket. You can identify and overcome different PTSD triggers. Anger, anxiety, jealousy, insecurity, body shame, and more are common after trauma and are stressful. Holistic, somatic therapies help you connect to your mind, body and spirit again.
Counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut helps victims overcome trauma symptoms
Anytime you or a loved one has experienced non consensual touch or unwanted touch, this can be considered sexual assault. Counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut helps victims push out negative memories. Experiencing attempted rape or having someone touch your breasts or genitals without consent is sexual assault. As well, lifting up someone’s skirt, pulling on clothing for sexual pleasure, and touching any other part of the body for sexual pleasure or in a sexual manner are forms of sexual assault.
Trauma counseling in Southeastern Connecticut helps victims develop strength to heal and regain self-esteem.
From these traumatizing experiences, victims of sexual assault may have negative flashbacks, night terrors, trouble eating, over eating, high levels of fear, severe anxiety, or mistrust for years after. A person may avoid anything that is a reminder of their sexual assault like a specific location where it took place, like a room or specific environment. As well, a vicim may have a negative flashback around a smell, cologne, or perfume their perpetrator wore. Symptoms can also include self-destructive behaviors like alcoholism, drug addiction, being promiscuous, and compulsive dieting. Counseling for trauma can also help victims manage and overcome PTSD symptoms of agitation, irritability, anger, frustration, and hostility.
With trauma experiences, you wake up and the world you knew is gone.
Right now, self-doubt, body shame, sadness, fear, worry, and anxiety race through your mind. You now struggle with anxiety, worry, insomnia, obsessive thoughts, trouble at work and low self-esteem. These are serious trauma responses that yoga therapy can help reduce. After experiencing sexual assault, rape, or sexual abuse, your body goes into protective mode. The team at Wisdom Within Counseling specialize in complex trauma recovery and survivors of sexual abuse.
What are trauma symptoms when it comes to yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors?
After being a victim of sexual trauma experiences, you go into fight, flight, fawn or freeze. Also, a lot of times, people get into negative behaviors after a trauma too. After sexual assault, the brain wants to numb away all emotional pain.
For instance, people may being drinking too much alcohol after sexual abuse. As well, people may start numbing out by working too much or exercising too much. With depression symptoms, people may being sleeping too much.
Counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut can give victims of abuse positive coping tools to heal.
Commonly, when feeling overwhelmed with negative memories, a victim of trauma may contemplate suicide. If you feel suicidal, call the suicide hotline or goto your local emergency room. Suicidal thinking is not something to take lightly, and is common after sexual trauma. As well, other self-destructive PTSD symptoms include over exercising, binge eating and compulsive activities like gambling, gaming, or shopping online. Additionally, victims of sexual trauma may become impulsive.
Other negative PTSD and trauma symptoms
Likewise, it is common for victims of sexual assault to take part in risky sexual behavior or put themselves out sexually. Negative trauma symptoms may include overusing alcohol and becoming addicted to drugs. Self-harm and self-injury are common PTSD symptoms and behaviors that can include cutting, hair pulling, picking and skin burning. Overall, counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy in Southeastern Connecticut gives victims positive coping strategies to live in the present moment.
To begin, book your free phone consultation for holistic counseling and yoga therapy to build confidence and overcome shame after sexual assault using the button below.
Yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors can restore inner peace and self-acceptance.
Being on a screen or a cell phone too much is a sign of numbing. As therapists who specialize in holistic trauma counseling, we see a lot of numbing behaviors. People may become aloof, distant and emotionally avoidant after sexual trauma.
Gain sexual confidence in yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors
It is normal to feel insecure, sad, and depressed after experiencing sexual trauma. Furthermore, sexual trauma can be a painful memory when you think about new sexual experiences. You can relax, feel safe with your therapist, and gain self-awareness skills. Yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors helps to reverse the fight, flight, freeze responses. Instead of feeling afraid or on edge, working with a holistic therapist can give you confidence and clarity.
How can yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors support couples in counseling?
As well, in couples in counseling, who have had a series of losses or traumas can benefit from yoga therapy. Sexual trauma experiences can come up and resurface in a new romantic relationship. You get to talk with your romantic, intimate partner about past trauma and current needs. As you encounter your everyday stressful events, you get a safe place to talk about your trauma story. Then, yoga therapy can help you gain positive coping tools to release sexual trauma memories. Yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors provides grounding skills for present moment thinking.
Holistic yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors can reduce the intensity of arguments
To note, yoga therapy can reduce high conflict and intense fights. Often, intense, emotional arguments develop from trauma. Having challenging, intense fights can create complex traumas.
So, yoga therapy and meditation, in a safe, confidential counseling session can help you reset your communication. As well, you can gain self-connection and build a sense of leadership in your life. Overall, when couples do art, music, and yoga therapy for trauma symptoms, they feel calmer and more relaxed.
Counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy in Southeastern Connecticut can help you choose healthy behaviors over reckless ones
One of the biggest concerns when healing from sexual trauma is impulsive and recklessness. Many times, victims feel as if their life and future has been stolen from them. So, they stop caring about everything and all things. Sometimes, after experiencing sexual assault, victims are so disconnected from themselves that they take part in reckless and self-destructive behaviors.
Impulsive, reckless, and self-destructive behaviors are common symptoms of PTSD.
The negative memories become so intrusive, a person will do almost anything to push them out. Counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy in Southeastern Connecticut can help victims gain holistic outlets for intense feelings. Likewise, with your PTSD specialist, you can share anxiety, fear, worry, jealousy, grief, anger, and anything you feel in a healthy way. Talking about these feelings can be liberating, freeing, and remind you that it was not your fault. Lastly, art, yoga, music, and creative expressive arts can also support you in telling your story of sexual assault and healing.
To begin, book your free phone consultation for holistic counseling and yoga therapy to build confidence and clarity using the button below.
What does yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors look like?
At the end of a counseling session, you might do a 10-minute guided meditation. Or, you can choose to lie down on a meditation table. Your holistic, complex trauma therapist can guide you through a body scan for grounding. As well, your therapist will give you a tool to give your mind a break from trauma memories. Additionally, yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors provides a sense of mental relief. Meditation, yoga, art, music, and walking therapies support mental relief trauma survivors are craving through numbing techniques. Yoga therapy for PTSD can be stretching physically or breathing skills. Mindfulness tools from yoga therapy support you when you feel overwhelmed in life.
Counseling for sexual assault survivors and victims of sexual abuse involves art, yoga, music, and holistic therapies
Yoga therapy is very evidence-based for trauma. It gives you new, positive tools to cope in healthy ways every counseling session. As well, you build a toolbox to feel confident and to feel better in your self-worth. You can improve your self-esteem in a spiritual, gentle therapy. There’s nothing forced in yoga therapy. Yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors can include poses, meditation, and breathing techniques. Overall, holistic, somatic, yoga therapy can also be guided meditation for safety. Essentially, yoga therapy helps victims of abuse and sexual assault survivors build an inner safe space.
Survivors of sexual trauma builds distress tolerance skills and mindfulness tools.
Breathing through a panic attack or distressing memory is a skill for healing from trauma. Reducing panic attacks and flash backs are key parts in complex trauma counseling. Depression and pessimism are unfortunate parts of PTSD and trauma. A victim of sexual assault may truly believe they are to blame or they are now dirty. With PTSD, it is common for victims to fear life will get worse and take on a elf-destructive mentality. Counseling can help a victim gain awareness of any hypersensitivity to trauma triggers like avoiding locations where the sexual assault took place. PTSD therapy can help victims believe in themselves and become optimistic.
How can counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy in Niantic, Connecticut heal?
PTSD therapy in East Lyme, Connecticut can also help a victim pinpoint smells that are reminders of the sexual assault. A victim can then talk about those smells and emotions in the safe, nurturing space of their therapist’s office. As well, holistic therapy can help reduce emotional numbness, and the desire to be self-destructive. Self-harm, self-injury, and inflicting physical pain on one’s self are negative trauma and PTSD symptoms.
Art, yoga, music, and holistic trauma therapies support self-care and self-love again
Training your nervous system to be calm takes the help of a trauma specialist such as the team at Wisdom Within Counseling.
Yoga therapy poses and gentle stretching can soothe the nervous system. Art and painting can help a victim of sexual assault paint out their story. Using colors and creating an image can be very powerful. Words can be limiting, so art, yoga, music, and creative therapies offer holistic alternatives. Also, painting, doing yoga therapy, and learning meditation can promote a calm nervous system. Calming the parasympathetic nervous system is key in healing from unpleasant trauma symptoms.
From a calm nervous system, panic attacks and flash backs can reduce further.
If your body is physically tight, you are more likely to be in a state of high anxiety. Your mind may see more threats and send stress signals to your brain after trauma. Instead, yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors is an alternative to the traditional sitting and talking.
If you’re struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety and you’re just looking for something out of the box, Wisdom Within Counseling can help.
We are a creative and holistic team of trauma specialists at Wisdom Within Counseling. Our team of complex trauma counselors would love to support you in developing inner relaxation. You get a personalized approach to C-PTSD healing and holistic therapies.
From somatic, mind-body, holistic therapy, you can learn to believe that no part of you is broken. Essentially, complex trauma recovery is about remembering that all parts of you are whole. Holistic therapy at Wisdom Within Counseling looks to restore a sense of inner balance through yoga therapy, art therapy, walking therapy, and music therapy.
Working with the team of therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you build confidence and self-esteem after sexual trauma.
You can feel comfortable and happy in your body and in your skin again. There may have been a lot of trauma and loss that has happened to you in your life.
How can I meet for holistic counseling for sexual assault survivors and PTSD therapy in Connecticut?
We do video as well as in-person counseling sessions. Locally in Southeastern Connecticut, Wisdom Within Counseling offers support to children, teens, adults, and elders in Bozrah, East Lyme, Salem, Old Lyme, South Lyme, Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Ledyard, Lisbon, Montville, Mystic, Stonington, Ivoryton, Essex, Old Saybrook, Madison, Branford, and Fenwick. As well, the team of therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling also support children, teens, couples, and adults in Simsbury, Middlebury, Waterbury, Preston, Seymour, Shelton, Short Beach, South Meriden, Middletown, Sprague, Stony Creek, and Woodbridge, Connecticut. Likewise, if you live in Farmington, Fairfield, Danbury, Wilton, Avon, Burlington, Newington, West Hartford, Hartford, Plainville, New Britain, or Bristol, Connecticut, you may want video counseling or drive to our Niantic office.
You can feel like yourself again from art, meditation, music therapy, drama therapy, and yoga therapy for sexual assault survivors.
Delayed responses to trauma can settle in after the body and mind is out of shock. Children, teenagers, adults, and elders may all experience negative PTSD and trauma symptoms. For instance, persistent fatigue, sleep disorders, nightmares, and intense fears of the trauma happening again are all challenges. Also, victims of sexual assault may have high levels fo anxiety focused, negative flashbacks, depression, avoid emotions, and avoid sexual sensations. A victim of sexual assault may avoid activities that are associated with their sexual trauma. Therefore, in East Lyme, Connecticut, at Wisdom Within Counseling, our team specializes in mind-body therapies.
Mind-body therapies in trauma therapy help victims of trauma take back their power over intrusive, painful, terrorizing thoughts.
Mind-body practices and holistic therapies support self-nurturing instead of self-harm and self-sabotage. Likewise, mind-body therapies offer numerous therapeutic benefits like lowering anxiety and stress responses.
After sexual trauma, the smallest anxiety may send massive danger signals off in your brain.
Yoga, art, painting, music therapy, drama therapy, and meditation helps victims reduce anxiety, depression, grief, and anger. Also, mind-body therapies offer holistic outlets for intense emotions that help victims cope with emotional pain. In healthy ways, you can use mind-body therapies to tolerate distress, rebuild self-esteem, and balance your energy levels. Mind-body, holistic therapies give victims of sexual abuse a newfound ability to relax into the present moment. Lastly, Wisdom Within Counseling in East Lyme, Connecticut specializes in trauma counseling. We want you to be able to cope with trauma triggers and stressful situations in positive, healthy, self-loving ways.
Overall, Wisdom Within Counseling in Waterford, Connecticut can help you overcome painful memories. Remember, you deserve to make yourself a priority in your life again.
