The natural result to an assault is to talk about it with others who can understand, in a compassionate setting and grieve the losses that result from being so vulnerable.

Sometimes memories become difficult to process due to PTSD which we can stuck points. Often the individual wrongly blames themselves and have an illusion that they could have stopped it. The only person responsible for sexual assault is the perpetrator. Like any trauma it is critical that an individual get comfort and soothing as they face their shame and move into grieving the losses and making meaning out of their suffering. Typically the self is fragmented and the individual doesn’t know who they are or what makes them happy. They have a history of unhappy relationships and are trauma bonded to chaos or pain. Focused therapy is highly effective in resolving traumatic symptoms. Then the hard work of recovery includes facilitating experiences in which the individual becomes more calm and compassionate, curious, connected, confident and develops clarity and creativity. (8 C’s from Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.).