Sexual Assault Therapy
Are You Struggling To Reclaim Your Sense Of Safety After Sexual Trauma?
Sexual Trauma's Impact: Understanding Your Body's Natural Response
Sexual trauma represents a profound violation of personal boundaries and safety. Your nervous system responds to this threat by activating survival mechanisms—fight, flight, freeze, or fawn (people-pleasing). These responses are automatic, instinctual, and completely beyond your conscious control.
After trauma, these protective responses often persist long after the immediate danger has passed. Your brain and body remain on high alert, perceiving threat in ordinary situations. This isn't a sign of weakness or failure—it's your nervous system doing exactly what it evolved to do in response to overwhelming experiences.
n the aftermath of sexual assault or abuse, daily life can feel like navigating a minefield of triggers and overwhelming emotions. Perhaps intimate relationships have become fraught with anxiety, trust feels impossible, or your body's responses seem beyond your control. Many survivors describe feeling disconnected from themselves—as if the person they were before the trauma is somehow unreachable.
You may find yourself alternating between intense emotional states and complete numbness. Sleep might be disrupted by nightmares or hypervigilance. Ordinary activities that once brought joy might now trigger flashbacks or panic. Or perhaps you've become so skilled at compartmentalizing your experience that you function perfectly on the outside while carrying a heavy burden internally.
At Holistic Counseling, we understand the profound impact sexual trauma can have on every aspect of your being. Our specialized therapists create a safe, confidential environment where healing can unfold at your pace. Through our whole-person approach that honors the connection between mind, body, and spirit, we support survivors in reclaiming their sense of safety, choice, and personal power.
You Are Not Alone: The Prevalence of Sexual Trauma
According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), someone in the United States experiences sexual assault every 68 seconds. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey reports that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in the US have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact at some point in their lives.
Despite these staggering statistics, many survivors never disclose their experiences or seek support. Common barriers include shame, self-blame, fear of not being believed, or previous negative responses to disclosure. If you're reading this, you've already taken a significant step toward healing by considering professional support.
You may be experiencing effects of sexual trauma if you:
Feel unsafe in your body or disconnected from physical sensations
Experience intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares about the assault
Notice intense emotional reactions or complete emotional numbness
Struggle with intimacy, trust, or maintaining healthy boundaries
Find yourself avoiding people, places, or activities that trigger distress
Use substances, food, work, or other behaviors to numb uncomfortable feelings
Experience unexplained physical symptoms like chronic pain or gastrointestinal issues
Notice changes in your sexuality, desire (increase or decrease), or comfort with physical touch
Every survivor's experience is unique, and not everyone exhibits the same symptoms. What matters most is how these symptoms impact your quality of life and whether they're interfering with activities and relationships that matter to you.
Our Specialized Approach to Sexual Trauma Healing
At Holistic Counseling, we recognize that healing from sexual trauma requires more than just talking about what happened. Our approach acknowledges that trauma affects your entire being—mind, body, emotions, and spirit—and true healing must address all these dimensions.
The Holistic Difference in Sexual Trauma Recovery
Our therapists have received specialized training in trauma-informed care through respected organizations including The Rape Recovery Center, The Refuge, and Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. We offer a comprehensive approach that integrates evidence-based trauma therapies with holistic mind-body practices.
Depending on your unique needs and preferences, your therapy may incorporate:
Safety Building: Establishing physical and emotional safety is our first priority, creating a foundation for deeper healing work
Trauma-Focused Therapy: Evidence-based approaches specifically designed for sexual trauma recovery
Somatic (Body-Based) Processing: Reconnecting with your body through mindful awareness, movement, and breathwork
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Using bilateral stimulation to help your brain process traumatic memories
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Healing fragmented aspects of self through compassionate inner dialogue
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART): Using guided eye movements to change how your brain stores traumatic memories
Boundary Development: Learning to recognize, communicate, and maintain healthy boundaries in relationships
Throughout your healing journey, we emphasize empowerment and choice. You remain in control of the pace and direction of therapy. We'll help you develop concrete skills for managing distress, establish a sense of safety in your body, and gradually reclaim aspects of yourself that trauma may have disconnected.
The transformation our clients experience often extends beyond recovery from trauma symptoms. Many describe a profound reclaiming of their authentic selves, improved relationships, greater self-compassion, and a renewed sense of possibility and meaning.
Common Questions About Sexual Trauma Therapy…
Will I have to talk about all the details of my assault?
One of the most common concerns about trauma therapy is the fear of having to recount traumatic experiences in detail. We want to assure you that our approach is designed to minimize retraumatization while promoting healing.
While some discussion of your experiences helps us understand how to best support you, you never need to share more detail than feels manageable. Many of the therapeutic approaches we use—particularly somatic therapies, EMDR, and ART—can facilitate healing without requiring extensive verbal recounting.
We always follow your lead, respecting your boundaries around what and how much you choose to share. Our primary concern is creating an environment where you feel safe, respected, and in control of your healing process.
Is it normal to still be struggling years after the assault?
Absolutely. There is no "normal" timeline for healing from sexual trauma. While some survivors process their experiences within months, others may notice effects emerging or persisting years or even decades later.
Several factors influence recovery timelines, including:
Whether you received support at the time of the trauma
Previous trauma history and overall life stressors
Your support network and social environment
Whether you were believed and supported when you disclosed
Access to appropriate mental health resources
Many survivors find that certain life transitions—entering a new relationship, becoming a parent, career changes, or other major life events—can trigger symptoms that had previously been manageable. This doesn't mean you've failed or moved backward; rather, it indicates that different aspects of the trauma are ready to be processed as your life context evolves.
No matter how long it's been since your traumatic experience, healing is possible. The brain remains capable of creating new neural pathways throughout life, and therapeutic approaches have evolved significantly in recent years, offering new possibilities for recovery.
How will I know if I'm making progress?
Healing from sexual trauma isn't always linear. Progress often occurs in waves, with periods of significant change followed by integration phases that might feel like plateaus. We'll help you identify and celebrate various markers of healing, which might include:
Reduced intensity or frequency of intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
Increased capacity to regulate emotions and manage distress
Greater comfort in your body and with physical sensations
Improved sleep quality and reduced hypervigilance
More satisfying connections with trusted others
Ability to set and maintain healthy boundaries
Increased engagement in meaningful activities
Shifts in self-perception from "victim" to "survivor" to "thriver"
We'll regularly check in about your experience of therapy and make adjustments as needed to ensure we're addressing what matters most to you. Some clients find it helpful to keep a private journal to notice subtle changes that might otherwise go unrecognized.
How can I trust that therapy will be confidential?
Confidentiality is the cornerstone of effective therapy, especially for sexual trauma survivors. Your experiences, thoughts, and feelings remain private within our therapeutic relationship, with only a few legally mandated exceptions (such as imminent risk of harm to yourself or others). We'll discuss these limits to confidentiality in detail during your first session.
We understand that sexual trauma often involves profound violations of trust, which can make the therapeutic relationship itself feel risky. Our therapists approach this dynamic with sensitivity, respecting your boundaries and earning your trust gradually rather than expecting it immediately.
Begin Your Healing Journey Today
At Holistic Counseling, we believe in your innate capacity to heal from sexual trauma. The symptoms you're experiencing aren't character flaws or signs of weakness—they're normal responses to abnormal circumstances. With compassionate guidance and evidence-based approaches, you can transform your relationship with trauma and reclaim your sense of wholeness.
Contact us today to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our sexual trauma specialists. We offer both in-person and secure online sessions to clients throughout Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming.
If you're experiencing a crisis or need immediate support, please contact:
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
The Rape Recovery Center: 801-467-7273
The Refuge: 801-227-5038
The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition