Sexual Assault Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault or abuse in childhood often causes psychological and emotional difficulties as the victim grows up. A child who is abused by a parent, is likely to suffer from severe anxiety, low self-esteem, uncontrollable anger, depression and intimacy issues. However, sexual assault is not limited to children, and it can harm an adult emotionally too.

Immediately after sexual assault, a person may not immediately experience pain or fear. They may even experience moments of pleasure, which can cause a lot of confusion and inner turmoil. They may feel betrayed if the abuser is a relative or acquaintance, but at the same time, feel guilty for reporting the sexual assault and getting the abuser in trouble. Abusers often lie to their victims, or reward them, and threats can deepen the emotional trauma.

A victim of sexual assault will often have trouble coping with relationships that are growing close, or with people physically touching them. When starting a relationship, memories will start to occur and they will cause trouble with intimacy in the relationship. Some people who have experienced sexual assault will become promiscuous, which can cause even more guilt.

It is essential for sexual assault survivors to receive counselling from a professional psychologist who is experienced in sexual assault. A therapist will help the victim to work through emotions and help clarify his or her choices. Working through the emotions of anger, guilt and shame will help to facilitate emotional healing. EMDR has been proven a very effective treatment for post traumatic stress disorder in sexual assault victims.

If you are looking for a counsellor or psychologist who offers sexual assault counselling to address your emotional healing issues you may want to search the directory to find a professional whose approach will suit you best.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Existential-Humanistic

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy has been rated as a highly effective therapy for treating PTSD, emotional reactivity disorders and dissociation, even in cases where people have been unable to successfully heal with other approaches. In cases of severe trauma, people are sometimes unable to access their cognitive processing centres indirectly, have found relief through Sensorimotor Psychotherapy which accesses it directly.

Somatic healing addresses the physiological elements of a traumatic experience. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy combines cognitive processing mechanisms with the emotional mechanisms  to deal with traumatic situations.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy therapists guide clients through a physical healing journey where the client uses his or her own body as a resource for recovery. It offers a dynamic, elegant and fluid body therapy which allows clients to draw wisdom from their inner strength and knowledge for effective relief.

If you are looking for a therapist who offers Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, please browse our list of practitioners below..

Existential-Humanistic psychotherapies emphasize a collaborative approach to the understanding of the client's full experience rather than just the symptom, thoughts or behaviour. Psychological problems are viewed as the result of a restricted ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self-directed choices about how to live. Consequently, interventions are aimed at increasing client self-awareness and self-understanding. The key words for existential-humanistic therapy are acceptance and growth, responsibility and freedom.

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Margaret Brennan

Ph.D., R.Psych
    • Online booking
Hello. My name is Maggie and I am a Registered Psychologist offering virtual services in BC.  As a fellow human being I understand how messy, challenging and painful life can be. Drawing on my training and... Read more

Chelsea Stenner

M.A., RCC
    • Online booking
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (#15201) and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (#10002791). I have a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The first thing I want you to know... Read more