| Healing the impact of childhood abuse is a difficult yet | | | | these defenses with healthier coping skills you are |
| hopeful process. If you were physically or sexually | | | | freer to be in touch with what is inside you. You |
| abused as a child, you may often feel fragmented, | | | | learn to experience a broader range of feelings, |
| confused, vulnerable, and somewhat chaotic inside. | | | | accurately name them, and make choices about |
| You may have difficulty with trust and intimacy in | | | | expressing them. During this time your relationship |
| your relationships, and your emotions may seem | | | | with your body is also very significant. The way the |
| unpredictable and volatile to you. You may also have | | | | abuse has affected your feelings about your body, |
| a generalized feeling that you are somehow "bad" or | | | | and your body's need for healing are part of the |
| unworthy, and therefore, not like yourself very much. | | | | healing process. At this point Group Therapy &/or |
| You may also feel guilty, as though you caused the | | | | Trauma Touch Therapy (TM) can be integrated into |
| abuse. All of these experiences are common and | | | | your journey and provide additional avenues for |
| make sense in light of your childhood experience. | | | | healing. Your relationship with yourself changes as |
| There IS hope! An integrated and intentional | | | | you are able to have compassion for yourself, grieve |
| approach in therapy can lead to healing in these areas | | | | your losses, and honor the truth of your experience. |
| of your life. This healing involves reconnecting with | | | | The fragmentation you developed as a way of |
| parts of yourself that seem disconnected and | | | | staying safe becomes less necessary and you can |
| alienated, reclaiming your life by learning to be in | | | | begin developing a more cohesive sense of yourself |
| charge of your behavior and make good choices, and | | | | as an adult. While this is a difficult time in the process, |
| transforming your relationship to self and others. It | | | | it is also one that is full of meaning, transformation |
| may be helpful to think of the healing process as | | | | and hope. |
| taking place in three primary stages: 1) getting | | | | Moving On occurs as you are increasingly able to |
| started; 2) reconnecting with yourself; and 3) moving | | | | integrate your new awareness and experience of |
| on. | | | | yourself on every level. How you think about |
| Getting Started is primarily focused on helping you | | | | yourself and the abuse is changing. Now you are |
| understand what you are experiencing, what you can | | | | open to new ways of viewing the world, others and |
| expect from therapy, and how you can help yourself | | | | yourself. Your new skills and ability to manage your |
| through the process. In this stage, understanding is | | | | feelings and maintain healthy boundaries bring with it |
| empowerment. During this time you learn new ways | | | | the possibility for meaningful relationships. Perhaps |
| of thinking about the abuse and its effects. You | | | | most importantly, you may become less likely to |
| develop skills and strategies for handling flashbacks, | | | | identify yourself in terms of the abuse, as you move |
| emotional intensity and boundary issues. Perhaps | | | | from being a survivor to being a thriver. You may |
| most importantly, you develop emotional self-care | | | | experience increasing levels of energy to give to |
| skills that will enable you to nurture, comfort, and | | | | those things in the "here and now" that are important |
| calm yourself as you move through your healing | | | | to you, as less of your energy is given to protecting |
| journey. These skills can help you feel safer with the | | | | yourself from the impact of the abuse. |
| emotions that may seem overwhelming now. | | | | As a survivor, you learned to use your "smarts" and |
| Reconnecting With Yourself is the heart of the | | | | ingenuity to get through an overwhelmingly painful |
| healing process, and takes commitment, courage, and | | | | experience. As a thriver, these internal resources that |
| a desire for wholeness. During this time you learn to | | | | served you so well are transformed into strengths |
| identify the ways you have protected yourself that | | | | for living fully in the present. |
| are no longer helpful to you. As you gradually replace | | | | |