Has a Sexual Assault Profoundly Changed Your Life?
Have you experienced a sexual assault that happened long ago or maybe more recently?
Are you having flashbacks or nightmares of the incident?
Do you constantly go over it in your mind, trying to determine what you could have done differently to stop it or prevent it?
Are you blaming yourself, feeling like it was somehow your fault?
Perhaps the guilt and shame you may feel has altered how you see yourself, impacting your self-esteem and self-confidence. Or perhaps forming close relationships has become hard because trusting others feels so difficult. You might overreact during interactions with your loved ones, feeling anger bubbling up in ways that just aren’t like you.
Sexual Assault May Change Your Daily Functioning
You may often wake up in the morning feeling exhausted knowing it will be another day that will be difficult to focus. Sleep may have come intermittently, as you awoke numerous times—sometimes because of nightmares or sometimes because of a slight noise that wouldn’t have bothered you in the past.
As you stumble to the shower, you have a sinking feeling that your life will never be the same as it was before—you will never be the same. And no one can really understand how profoundly everything has changed. You yearn for the sense of safety you once felt. That day seems so far in the past. Realizing this comes with a deep sense of sadness and loss, and a profound feeling that you’re irrevocably broken.
Throughout the day, your mind may periodically flash back to the incident, repeatedly dragging you through thoughts you’d rather forget. You may feel numb or disconnected, as if your life has become smaller, and you avoid triggers that bring up painful emotions. As a result, you’ve lost the joy you once had in your life. Smiling has become harder and laughter doesnt fit how you feel. You have become numb because numb feels safer.
While you may be longing for a sense of normalcy and safety, it feels so far away.
But what if you could just clear your mind of what happened and move on with your life? At Inspired By Hope Counseling we know how to welcome you into a safe space and lead your mind through the process of healing so you can feel more like you.
You Are Not Alone
National statistics show that one in four women and one in six men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime (1). It is common for individuals who have experienced sexual assault to have emotional reactions and behaviors that are unwanted, like anger, anxiety, depression, and even hopelessness. At Inspired by Hope we can help. You are not alone.
Sharing your story can feel overwhelming because perhaps you worry what people will think—how you may be viewed by them, judged by them, or gossip behind your back. This can leave one feeling lonely and isolated. And so it feels easier to withdraw from the world rather than risk joining others and facing the possibility of something traumatic happening again.
The Thought Of Seeking Therapy Is Difficult At Best
Coping with the aftermath of a sexual assault can feel overwhelming, whether it was a single event or it happened repeatedly. Since the assault, your self-concept may have changed completely. You don’t feel confident anymore, as if your spark and love of life have been extinguished.
If you have experienced a sexual assault, your biggest fear about seeking therapy likely has to do with reliving the trauma just by thinking about it, let alone sharing it with someone else. Just the thought of a therapist asking questions that feel too personal and painful may be overwhelming. You may also worry about what your therapist will think of you: ”Will they believe me? Will they think it was my fault?”
However, regardless of what you may be experiencing right now—you matter! Your experience matters! And I want to help you free yourself from the pain by offering therapy that is effective and profoundly healing.
Sexual Assault Therapy Can Help You Reclaim Your Life
Healing is possible with the right approach. I’m a nationally certified counselor specializing in helping those who have experienced trauma and sexual assault, and I utilize a powerful and innovative treatment method: Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT)/Memory Reconsolidation.
Before we begin therapy, we will have an intake session so that we can discuss what is most important for you to clear in connection with the sexual assault. Though, you will not have to talk about or relive the incident.
During this discussion, I can also learn more about you—what makes you happy and what your strengths are. Together, we’ll highlight your strengths and explore how they've shaped you into the person you are today. Knowing this is important because we can use these things during the memory reconsolidation process of therapy.
What To Expect In Sexual Assault Therapy Sessions
In sessions, we step through the process of Rapid Resolution Therapy and Memory Reconsolidation together. As I engage you with stories, metaphors, and imagery about how your mind works, you will begin healing without even noticing it.
One week after our first RRT session, I will give you a free check-in call to see how you’re feeling and what changes you’ve noticed. If you tell me you feel lighter, calmer, and freer, or that the incident just doesn’t weigh on you anymore, that’s exactly where we want to be. Your journey is completed.
If any other issues have surfaced by then, we can schedule another session to clear those issues as well. Or if you just want to come back and talk about how life is going and sort through it together, you’re welcome to schedule additional sessions.
RTT – A Tailored Approach For Sexual Assault Therapy
Rapid Resolution Therapy is calming, relaxing, and healing. It recognizes the profound power of the mind and its ability to heal and empowers it to clear away and let go of the pain.
As a result, your mind clears the trauma, quickly resolving emotional distress and changing the way memories are stored in your brain without speaking of the incident in great detail. When this happens, the behaviors tied to it—like flashbacks, fear, and hypervigilance—are cleared out. The incident is cleared as your mind focuses on what truly has value for you.
During my years as a therapist, I have helped many people who have experienced sexual assault. They recognize that it was not their fault and that they did nothing to cause it. It was something that happened to them—it is not part of them.
My goal is to help your mind heal as well.
Perhaps You Are Considering Sexual Assault Therapy But Still Have Some Questions…
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Rapid Resolution Therapy is considered brief therapy and typically requires between two to six sessions. So you won’t be going to counseling for very long to resolve what troubles you. Just think about how phenomenal it would be to no longer struggle with thoughts and feelings about the assault.
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RRT is different from most counseling. You will not have to retell your story in detail or relive it. Living through it once was enough, you will not need to go through it a second time. With the help of this innovative method, your mind can truly heal by releasing the emotional pain so that it no longer plays a part in interrupting your daily life.
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I understand that each person who has experienced sexual assault has their own unique and personal feelings about it. The way we grow up, our life experiences, and our own unique beliefs greatly shape the meanings we attach to the experience.
I have provided counseling for sexual assault to hundreds of clients for over 15 years. My heart is in this. I am invested in your healing, and I don’t want you to carry this with you for the rest of your life. It is too heavy a burden. Together, we can help your mind heal, let go, and move forward from the pain of the past.
You Can Feel Lighter Than You Have In A Very Long Time
Healing from sexual assault is possible. Let me help you navigate this journey. With sexual assault therapy at Inspired by Hope Counseling, you can feel whole again.
Life will be better. Your mind will be clear. Your spirit will be uplifted.
I invite you to set up a complimentary, 30-minute phone consultation with me so I can answer all your questions.
1) https://rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence
“I had an extremely traumatic experience and for the 10 years that followed, it loomed over me like a dark cloud. When a friend told me about RRT/Memory Reconsolidation, I thought it sounded too good to be true. To my surprise, it was brief and painless. I have my life back! My only regret is that I waited so long.”
CC
“As a clinician, I am confident and comfortable referring clients to Cathy, especially for her fine tuned skills in RRT. She brings compassion for clients and quality to the work she does with traumatic experiences. I have known Cathy for several years and know that when I send someone to her, that she is equally kind, caring, and respectful. ”
Lori Johnson, M.A, LAC LPC, NCC
About the Author
Cathy Austin is a Nationally Certified Counselor, a licensed professional counselor and graduate of University of Colorado, Denver. She currently owns a private practice in Wheat Ridge, CO. Cathy is a trauma informed counselor who specializes in PTSD, Trauma, Sexual Trauma, Anxiety Treatment. She is certified in Rapid Resolution Therapy, Trauma Informed Care.
