Article | Healing Sexual Trauma | Healing Victim Trauma - Becoming a Survivor
Healing sexual trauma
The goal is to bring about the realization and complete understanding that you were not the puppeteer for the offender. The perpetrator would have made the same choice even if it involved someone different. What is called for here is a new corrected understanding; the physical reactions experienced while being victimized did not put you in control or make you responsible for the actions of another. Even if at first you consented to the contact and later changed your mind, this does not put you into a position of responsibility.
Equally important is to gently work with the individual occurrances of trauma with a focus on collapsing and resolving all the guilt, shame and betrayal, issues of worthiness, self-image and self-esteem, while instilling an understanding of truth about self. If proper healing has occurred the emotional ties and triggers related to the traumatic experience will be resolved leaving you free to move on with life in a healthy and balanced manner.
In the process of helping another heal from sexual trauma, I primarily use the Energy Psychology method of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), though sometimes I combine it with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Spiritual Healing in which we look at what the Soul believes regarding this trauma.
What is important in healing sexual trauma?
It is important to me that each healing session occur within a safe loving and compassionate environment which is the opposite of how it felt during and feels around the traumatic experience now. The deepest healing occurs when the survivor feels emotionally embraced by and trusting of the healer and can therefore, more fully re-visit their experience(s) within this space.
It is very wise to first resolve any feelings of anxiety, nervousness, guilt, shame, pain or tension in the body and where it is located, etc. resulting from the thought of even looking at the sexual trauma. This too will help create the healing space needed between the practitioner and client/patient or with yourself when self-healing.
I like to dance around the edges of the traumatic sexual experience(s) resolving the related issues, triggers, ill feelings, reappearing anxiety, tension or pain in the body, etc. as we work towards the core at a gentle loving pace. Our goal here is to create room for the resulting peace as we move through the trauma together; the same holds true when self-healing.
It is important that we step back from the trauma as often as needed so that the survivor has a chance to be bathed in the Love, Compassion, and Peace that has been created within this healing experience. This also prevents you from becoming overwhelmed and gives you some breathing room so you can restore your emotional energy to move forward once again.
I have found that going with the flow is of great importance. Allow your feelings to set the pace and determine what needs to be worked on during the healing session by what is up for you right now, what has the strongest intensity, but balance this with making sure the healing moves forward with gentle loving and compassionate nudges.
We are always interested in bringing about a new truthful understanding of the events and what these experiences mean for you the survivor and how you define yourself.
First page: Effects of Sexual Trauma Next: Healing Parent or Partner
Copyright 2011 - Rev. Christopher StandingBear, RMT - All Rights Reserved
Rev. Christopher StandingBear RMT specializes in helping clients release their emotional attachment to the past through his work as a Trauma Release Coach™ at Bearfoot Healing. He draws upon his own experiences and study of human behavioral psychology, his intuition, connection with Divine Guidance and the work he does with clients using Energy Medicine and Energy Psychology to write articles that will empower others in their personal healing.
