The trauma of sexual abuse can leave deep wounds that affect your mind, body and soul. And the mental health issues that arise from this type of trauma can seriously impact your ability to live a happy life. But healing from sexual trauma is entirely possible, and life beyond healing is well worth the journey. Embarking on this journey can be intimidating, and exploring deep parts of yourself can bring up a lot of unprocessed pain. That’s why it’s important to do so with as much support as possible. A trauma-informed rehab program can be extremely helpful. In a comprehensive program, you’re guided through a complete healing process that transforms your relationship with your trauma and yourself. Holistic treatment can be an especially nurturing approach, as complementary therapies help to regulate your nervous system and soothe your spirit throughout the process. Holistic trauma rehab allows you to heal from trauma, reconnect with yourself and reclaim your life. This journey not only allows you to get your life back. It empowers you to live a life that’s better than you imagined.
Acknowledging the Impact: The First Step Towards Healing
Denial is a mainstay of abusive relationships. It’s a natural coping mechanism: your brain’s way of allowing you to adjust to situations that would otherwise be impossible to bear. And it’s what keeps us in abusive relationships for far longer than we want to stay.One survivor, Tay Hagemann, explains how denial helped her during her abusive relationship, but became a barrier to healing once she was out of it: “I had to process the shock that happened to me. It was sudden and traumatizing. Using denial gave an easy way to process what was going on and come to terms with reality, but unfortunately, after a while, my denial became very unhealthy.” But, she adds, “The strength of denial can and will definitely change over time.”When you’re in an abusive relationship, the abuser creates reality for you. Rewriting that narrative is an important part of the healing process. And acknowledging the realities of the situation allows you to do that. Confronting the aftermath of sexual trauma can be a difficult process – which is why it’s so important to do it with professional support.
The Healing Power of Professional Support
A trauma-informed healing program can guide you through this complex process. It also provides a safe space that’s free of outside distractions so you can focus on your healing. The Sanctuary helps survivors heal from sexual abuse via:
Inividual therapy, with far more clinical hours than a typical rehab program
Group therapy, where you’ll explore topics and process your experiences with supportive peers, with the guidance of a certified therapist
Trauma-specific therapies like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), tension & trauma releasing exercises (TRE) and somatic experiencing (SE)
Movement therapies that help you reconnect with your physical self and feel safe in your body
Navigating the Emotional Landscape Post-Sexual Abuse
Unpacking Guilt and Shame: Keys to Emotional Healing
Survivors often feel large amounts of guilt and shame in the aftermath of sexual abuse. This can be confusing and overwhelming. It helps to know that it’s a common experience. In fact, one study found that for survivors, “All types of severe violence were significantly associated with trauma-related shame and guilt,” and that “The more types of violence that were reported, the higher levels of shame and guilt were.”
Anxiety and Depression: Weathering the Emotional Storms
In addition to shame and guilt, sexual abuse survivors often feel stressed and depressed. Experts say that for trauma survivors, “Integrated treatments targeting both PTSD and depression symptoms may therefore prove more efficient and effective.” At The Sanctuary, we use depth psychology to get to the root of these issues. We also teach practical strategies to acknowledge and release any emotions you might feel day to day. A holistic approach helps you restore your emotional balance, so you can feel like yourself again.
Holistic Recovery: A Comprehensive Approach
In a residential treatment setting, you’ll receive intensive care in a safe and supportive environment. You’ll gain tools for managing the effects of trauma, and have the chance to put them into practice.
Comprehensive Rehab Programs: Your Road to Recovery
While conventional treatment programs focus mainly on the mental symptoms of trauma, we understand that its underlying energetic and spiritual causes also need to be addressed. Trauma affects the entire person: mind, body, soul and spirit. And because of that, the healing process needs to address these aspects too. No healing process is complete if any part of the person is ignored. That’s why our program places equal importance on the clinical, scientific, energetic and physical aspects of care. Our licensed clinicians have in-depth knowledge of holistic perspectives and use them in their practice. Our program is based on four distinct stages of healing:
Identify root issues. We help you understand the root causes of your trauma and how it has impacted your life.
Shed light on what’s been hidden. We help you confront and process difficult emotions and experiences you may have been avoiding.
Reintegrate lost parts of the self. We help you reclaim the parts of yourself that have been lost or fragmented due to trauma.
Implement real-life changes. We help you develop the skills and strategies you need to live a fulfilling life after trauma.
At every stage of the healing process, you’ll be guided by a highly effective process. Each aspect of the program supports the other to help you become more receptive to all areas of treatment.Our program is designed to help you make progress quickly and efficiently. Each component of the program builds on the previous one. And we use the latest evidence-based practices to ensure you’re getting the best possible care.
Personalized Healing Plans: Tailored to Your Unique Needs
At The Sanctuary, our therapists work together to ensure your treatment experience is as seamless and effective as possible. Clients are able to fully recover, because our program is:
Highly coordinated: Our therapists make a concerted effort to stay on the same page and provide you with a unified treatment approach. They take diligent notes, share information with each other and communicate to ensure everyone is aligned on your goals and progress.
Personalized: Your treatment plan is tailored to your individual needs and goals. We pay close attention to your progress and make adjustments as needed. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to healing from trauma, and we believe you benefit most from a personalized experience.
Well-paced: Our program is designed to help you heal at a pace that’s right for you. We understand that trauma can be overwhelming, and we want to make sure that you’re not pushed too hard. Our program strikes a balance between more intense and lighter work, and we always give you time to process your experiences and integrate your healing.
Progressive: Your therapists know what you’ve done, where you are going and how they fit into your current area of focus. Each session builds on the last, so you’re not repeating yourself. This allows us to make the most of your time and help you make progress quickly.
Easy to digest: We understand that when you’re overwhelmed, it’s harder to absorb information. That’s why we break down complex concepts into simple terms and make your journey a collaborative experience. Our clients are empowered to take an active role in their healing progress.
Community and Ongoing Care: The Pillars of Long-Term Success
At The Sanctuary, you’ll be held by a loving community that supports your healing journey without judgment. We see ourselves as a small, conscious community of equals, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.There’s no impersonal patient-therapist veil here. Many of our team members live on-site, meaning they’re available to talk anytime. Clients and staff eat meals and do therapeutic activities together. Here, you’re treated an important part of our family. This isn’t just a feel-good experience – it also benefits your progress. Seeing yourself as a meaningful part of a group can help you restore your self-worth.The depth and genuineness of your relationships with people at The Sanctuary can become a new baseline for your relationships in life. And when you feel comfortable and supported, you’re able to go deeper into the treatment experience.
Support After Treatment
We understand that your healing journey doesn’t end when you leave The Sanctuary. You also need support and resources when you return home. That’s why we provide recovery coaching starting from the beginning of your time with us. We also provide intensive aftercare and access to our alumni network, and connect you with resources to support your long-term recovery. All of this preparation begins well before you leave, so everything is in place by the time you go.
Therapeutic Strategies for Empowered Healing
We offer a wide and constantly evolving variety of healing modalities. We encourage you to try different approaches and find what works best for you.One of the therapies we offer is working with a complementary health practitioner who focuses on sexual healing. Traumatic experiences like sexual abuse erode our connection to ourselves, and healing our sexuality helps us restore that. And when you have full access to your sense of self, you can start to feel fully alive. You deserve to be able to embrace life in every moment. And if you’ve experienced sexual abuse, sexual healing is an important first step towards your ability to do that.Through our holistic healing methods, you’ll learn how to get back into your body, get back in touch with yourself and feel safe in the world.
Unmasking the Shadows: Exploring the Deep Impact of Sexual Abuse
Sexual trauma can have a profound impact on your life. It can lead to a wide range of psychological and emotional problems, including:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD)
Depression
Anxiety
Eating disorders
Addiction
Relationship problems
Low self-esteem
Difficulty trusting others
Intimacy blocks
Dissociation
Chronic pain
Sexual trauma can also damage your sense of self and your connection to your body.
Why Is Sexual Trauma so Under-Discussed?
Sexual trauma is a taboo subject that many people are uncomfortable talking about. This can be due to a number of reasons:
Shame and guilt: You may internalize what happened to you, even though you’re not to blame.
Fear of judgment: You might be afraid of being judged or blamed by others if you talk about your experience.
Lack of support: You may not feel comfortable talking about your trauma with your family and friends, or you may not have a strong support network in place.
Believing you’re alone: It can often feel like you’re the only one going through what you’re feeling.
Healing from sexual trauma is essential to your ability to live a full life. Holistic healing can help you process your trauma and rebuild your emotional resilience.
Rebuilding Trust and Cultivating Healthy Relationships
A large part of sexual trauma recovery is learning how to have healthy relationships with others – and more importantly, yourself.“One of the most tragic outcomes of sexual abuse and assault is the negative impact on the sense of self and how healthy relationships work,” says licensed marriage and family therapist Robyn Brickel.During treatment, you’ll learn how to create your own sense of inner safety and communicate what you need to feel safe with others. Eventually, you’ll learn to have relationships based on genuine love and security. As Brickel says, these healthy relationships help us “learn positive ways to experience sexual pleasure, desire and consent.”Trauma-informed therapists like those at The Sanctuary can help you work through deeper issues around sexual trauma. They’ll also give you practical tools to navigate relationships and intimacy in life beyond rehab.
Rediscovering Meaning and Purpose
Recovery is more than just treating symptoms. It’s about designing a life that brings you joy. This important journey allows you to find meaning, discover what truly excites you and reconnect with your passion.When you feel safe and supported, you feel confident to show up as your true self. Then, you can start living from your own truth instead of from a place of fear. Learning to trust yourself is crucial to making decisions that are in your best interest and creating the life you want. And when you reconnect with your authentic self, you’re more open to creativity, passion and a deeper love for life.Recovery isn’t just about what happens in treatment. It’s about creating a new way of being in the world.
A Promising Future Beyond Sexual Abuse
It may not feel like it right now, but the future is brighter. And what many people don’t tell you about healing is that the process itself can be joyful. By starting your path to recovery, you’re taking the first steps toward rebuilding your life. Recovery allows you to not only get your life back, but to rediscover the powerful person you know yourself to be. Your potential is limitless. Create room for it by healing. Contact us today.
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