Sexual Trauma

Sexual trauma is a specific type of traumatic experience that includes sexual coercion, rape, incest, or any talk or touch of a sexual nature that does not feel good to you. It can happen once or repeatedly over time. An event doesn’t have to be violent to be harmful, embarrassing, or traumatic. Feelings of shame, pain, avoidance of sex, or unwanted sexual impulses are common in people who have experienced sexual trauma.

Our clinicians understand that it can be difficult to talk about the traumatic experience or sex in general, and they are trained in a wide variety of ways to be helpful with this type of trauma. As part of counseling, you might choose to incorporate trauma treatment, mindfulness meditation, relaxation techniques, guided imagery, expressive arts—or simply talk. Together with your counselor, you will make the choices that are right for you to help you feel better. If you have experienced sexual trauma, we can help. Several of our counselors specialize in treating sexual trauma.