Sexual Abuse or Assault

Healing from sexual violence is often a very challenging road. I work closely with the LGBTQ+ community, which is experiencing an epidemic of sexual violence. For LGBTQ survivors, their very identities and the fear of discrimination can prevent them from seeking help and healing. I stand with you and am here as a resource to aid in therapeutic, trauma processing. I additionally work with heterosexual women who have experienced sexual abuse/assault/violence.

I work with all trauma and am currently a certified Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapist and Certified Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapist. I am also trained in Brainspotting and believe this to be a powerful tool when processing trauma. We will take our time to process the trauma and my goal is to provide safe space where you feel free to explore how trauma is impacting your life.

For most of my career I have worked with children, adolescents, and adults who have experienced sexual abuse and sexual/physical assault. I've also facilitated groups for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse/assault. In my practice, I also support people in understanding other factors that influence experiences of sexual abuse/assault, such as other marginalized or stigmatized identities that might magnify feelings of powerlessness. Approaching my work through an intersectional lens allows a more integrated understanding of the impact of abuse/assault and allows for growth/change to be a more integrated process as well.

As someone who has experienced this myself, I recognize the pervasiveness with which sexual trauma impacts folks. I take a trauma-informed approach and allow you to choose where we go and at what pace. Let me hold some of it, so you don't have to.

Sexual abuse or assault is way too prevalent in our society yet it can be a huge source of shame, and embarrassment. Often when survivors have reported the story, it has led to more harm, shame and re-traumatization. I start with a foundation of safety and trust and from there work our way at your pace into healing when you are ready.

My clients include adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault survivors, and survivors of multiple assaults.

Before working in private practice I worked for several years as a Victim Therapy exclusively with sexual abuse victims.

Trauma is an emotional response to any circumstance where you felt hopeless and overwhelmed. Many times the trauma is in the form of sexual abuse or assault. These experiences exceed your capacity to shape your beliefs, identity, spirituality, and coping. Trauma impacts the way you see yourself, others and the world around you.

I have experience working with male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and the confusing consequences of this unique type of abuse. Often, male survivors of sexual abuse struggle with intimacy, relationships, perfectionism, codependency, identity, dissociation, self sabotage, and overall boundary complications across different relationships. I can support you in the process of developing a treatment plan and following through to address your individual concerns step by step.

I am a survivor and have specialized training in working with survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. When I was certified as a rape crisis counselor, I supported survivors through crisis, and dealing with the medical and justice systems. I have worked with a large number of survivors in groups, individual therapy, and couples work. My goal in addressing your sexual trauma is to help you move toward empowerment, which informs how you are in relationships and the world.

I have worked with many survivors of sexual assault/abuse and helped them process the experience. I had 150+ hours of training as a sexual aggression advocate where I first got my passion for working with survivors.

I have extensive experience working with survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and trauma - whether this occurred during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, and was a one-time or ongoing assault. I have helped children and young adults disclose sexual abuse to family members, survivors of all ages address and process past sexual trauma(s), and clients work through recent/current sexual abuse.

Sexual violence impacts a large portion of our population. I have found that when you make it safe to talk about, many people have stories to tell. My research in graduate school focused on working with sexual abuse victim/survivors. I have worked with a large number of victim/survivors in support groups, as well as providing individual therapy to people struggling with a history of sexual violence.

Like all the counselors at Hope For The Journey, I specialize in healing sexual trauma. Tweens/teens and adults who have been sexually abused or assaulted need a therapist who understands their specific needs for healing. The work we do now will allows for healthy relationships and happy futures. You might feel like this is the worst thing that could possibly have happened. The good news is that you can heal, grow, and learn to take back your life. I'm here to help.

Sexual abuse impacts 1 in 5 women and 1 in 6 males. It is a painful and personal experience that can affect every aspect of both your and your child’s life. I have over ten years of experience working with children, adults, and families that have experienced sexual abuse.

Yes, you can talk about. It will get better if you do. So often people try to shove the secret away inside and find, like a shaken soda bottle, it explodes and the worst times. Good news, if you stop shoving it away, you can get through it and have all the smiles and laughs you have been missing out on. I am certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy and have several years of experience using this technique with survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse as a child, and several other traumas.