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Why Counseling Is Important for Survivors
The effects of past trauma linger in ALL survivors, the quality of life for an individual who has been the target of molest or sexual assault is negatively impacted. Common effects are: lack of concentration, eating disorders, addictions, sleeplessness, immune system deficits, digestive and gastrointestinal disorders, and on and on. Healing is a process that involves the whole process that involves the whole person with the goal of improving the quality of one’s entire life.
Example: If you’ve for a cast on your leg, what is keeping you from being a great tennis player?
- Pain
- Cast from an old injury you’re carrying around
- Etc.
Example: If you are a sexual assault survivor, what may be keeping you from having healthy relationships, from being emotionally and physically healthy, from being clean and sober?
- Pain from the old stuff
- Staying stuck in negative coping behavior
- Etc.
Survivors say that they want to talk about their experience.
Disclosure of traumatic events can reduce both intrusive and avoidance symptoms.
Survivors who have told someone indicated that they found this disclosure is helpful.
The goal of counseling is to integrate the experience into one’s life, not to be purged of it.
