First, what happened to you was not your fault. You cannot control other people. You could not control if someone decides to assault you. Hence, you are not to take responsibility or blame your self for the abuse. Many survivors get trapped in guilt ridden thoughts of “What could I have done to prevent this?” “What if I would have fought back or screamed?” “I should have seen the warning signs and not have been there.”

The most difficult thing about a break up can be that you are grieving a person that is still alive. Note that these tips are for someone who is very ready to move from their ex. If you aren’t ready to let go, these steps can still help. You may notice some resistance to doing these steps because these things are difficult to do. We want to connect to your long-term goals, so let’s heal from your past together.

Not all families are rainbows and butterflies. Many families try to sweep abuse under the rug when a victim comes forward about abuse occurring. Whether abuse has occurred inside the family or outside of the family, often times the victim is blamed. If you are a survivor of abuse, you deserve to be in a space where you feel supported.

Learning how to stand up for yourself and set boundaries can be difficult. Understand why it is difficult for you to stand up for yourself. Set boundaries with others by using your voice is important. In trauma therapy you can explore the root cause of not being able to use your voice.

Many people who have experienced trauma may feel “numb” to their emotions. After a traumatic event, our brains some times turn off our ability to feel emotions to protect us from the pain the trauma caused.

When something bad happens to you whether that is a sexual assault, an abusive relationship, or separating from toxic family members, you will probably grieve what happened. Grieving is a totally normal experience even if what you experienced was traumatic. These signs stem from Kubler Ross’s 5 stages of grief. Here is how these stages are applicable to trauma