Posts Tagged ‘sexual assault’
5 things to help how you feel after a sexual assault
If you are struggling after a sexual assault with who this new “you” is, feeling worried you’re now damaged or dirty, or that you’ll never feel better, you are NOT alone! Here are some tips to help you feel better about who you (still) are and to get you going on the path towards healing.…
< Read More >7 Tips for Friends and Lovers of Sexual Assault Survivors
Some people when they hear your story, contract. Others upon hearing your story, expand. And this is how you know. -Nayyirah Waheed A client of mine recently relayed a devastating story. After much pushing from her boyfriend to tell him more about her she told him about an experience of sexual assault. And then he…
< Read More >Trauma Impostor Syndrome: Everyone has it worse than me
I was recently listening to a client invalidate her experience of emotional abuse in childhood by the “other people had it worse than me” sentiment and it dawned on me what we were dealing with here was not a passing thought but a full-blown strategy – one with gnarly roots and gangly, thorned branches. And…
< Read More >33 Ways to Prevent Sexual Assault
A guide for potential victims Trigger warning: This post contains extreme sarcasm. My intent is not to make light of sexual assault but rather to call out the myriad of ways our society blames victims. 1. Dress conservatively. 2. Always be on the lookout wherever you go for potential perpetrators. Scan a room and make…
< Read More >Why didn’t I fight back? The myth of fight or flight responses to trauma
Shame is a common and especially pernicious response to experiencing a traumatic event. Not only has something terrible just happened, you also might be looking to assign what your role in it was or trying to suss out how much you are to blame. In some ways this is actually a handy trick our brain…
< Read More >What Makes Sexual Assault so Hard to Label?
Please note: this article contains frank language about sexual assault which may be triggering to some readers. In my therapy office one of the most common questions I get asked directly or subtly is if I consider a client’s experience of sexual assault as sexual assault. The bolder clients will ask directly though usually with…
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