Healing from Sexual Abuse and Trauma

Healing from sexual abuse and trauma is not linear, and it’s deeply personal. What works for one person may look very different for another, but there are some core practices that many survivors find helpful.

Here are some steps often involved in healing:

1. Acknowledge and Validate Your Experience

• The abuse was not your fault.

  
  

• Your feelings—anger, grief, confusion, numbness, shame—are valid responses to trauma.

  
  

2. Seek Safe, Supportive Spaces

• Therapy: Working with a trauma-informed therapist can help you process memories and emotions in a safe, guided way. Approaches like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or somatic experiencing can be particularly effective for trauma.

  
  
  
  

• Support Groups: Being around others who understand can reduce feelings of isolation.

  
  

3. Reclaim Your Body and Autonomy

• Trauma often makes survivors feel disconnected from their bodies. Gentle practices like yoga, breathwork, dance, or even mindful walking can help rebuild trust with yourself.

  
  

• Setting boundaries (physical, emotional, relational) is a powerful way to reclaim safety and control.

  
  

4. Express and Release the Pain

• Journaling, art, music, or writing letters (that you don’t have to send) can help you give voice to what happened without holding it inside.

  
  
  
  

• Finding words for your story on your terms—whether spoken or unspoken—is part of regaining power.

  
  

5. Build a Circle of Support

• Trusted friends, family, or chosen family who believe and support you are vital.

  
  

• Sometimes this means cutting off or distancing from people who minimize, dismiss, or trigger your pain.

  
  

6. Practice Self-Compassion

• Healing is not about “getting over it” quickly—it’s about tending to yourself gently.

  
  

• Remind yourself: I am more than what happened to me. I deserve peace, joy, and love.

  
  

7. Consider Professional Help for PTSD or Triggers

• If you experience flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, or depression, trauma-informed psychiatry may help. Medication is not the only path, but for some survivors it provides relief alongside therapy.

  
  

  8. Rebuild Trust in Relationships (When Ready)

  
  

• Healing doesn’t mean rushing into intimacy. It means slowly allowing yourself to feel safe with others again, on your own term

  
  

💜 Most importantly: Healing is a journey, not a race. You are allowed to take as long as you need, and it’s okay to need help along the way.