Sexual Assault Treatment: Comprehensive Support for Healing After Trauma

Sexual assault, which refers to any form of sexual contact or behavior without voluntary consent, affects individuals across all genders, ages, sexual orientations, and backgrounds. This traumatic experience often involves not just physical violence, but also an attempt to exert power and control, which can have a deep and lasting impact on your emotional and psychological well-being. If you are experiencing the aftereffects of sexual assault, it’s important to remember that healing is possible, and professional support can help.

The effects of sexual assault can be far-reaching, causing distress that may last for months or even years. Common symptoms of sexual trauma include intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, heightened irritability, emotional numbness, and difficulty with trust. Many individuals also experience a desire to avoid people, places, or situations that remind them of the assault. These symptoms can significantly affect your day-to-day life, relationships, and overall mental health.

For some, these ongoing emotional and psychological challenges may lead to the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). If you’re struggling with PTSD or other trauma-related symptoms after sexual assault, therapy can help. With years of experience as a psychologist at the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton and the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre, I specialize in trauma-informed care and PTSD treatment, helping individuals process their experiences and heal from the trauma of sexual violence.

I offer a range of effective, evidence-based therapies that have been proven to support individuals dealing with sexual assault trauma and PTSD. These include Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Each of these therapies has been extensively researched and is designed to help individuals process distressing memories, reduce PTSD symptoms, and improve overall emotional health.

Whether you’re dealing with trauma from a recent assault or working through the long-term impacts of past abuse, it’s important to know that you don’t have to go through it alone. I can help you find the right treatment to support your healing journey. Please take a look at the PTSD Treatment section in the Services Offered tab for more information on the treatment options available.