Surviving Sexual Violence

Victims of sexual assault experience their trauma in different ways, and often one path to recovery and healing is right for one person, but not right for another. While there are some general mental health effects of sexual violence, this book outlines and describes the impact of particular types of sexual violation. Whether the survivor has experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault during adulthood, marital rape, sexual harassment, sex trafficking, or sexual violence within the military, they will find aspects of her experience in these pages. Once survivors understand the ways in which they have been affected, they are introduced to various pathways to surviving sexual violence and moving forward. The chapters provide case examples and specific activities which give a fuller description of the ways survivors can make use of the particular approaches, which include mind-body practices, counseling, group therapies, self-defense training, and others. Anyone who has been a victim of sexual violence, or knows and cares about someone who has, will find relief in these pages, which offer practical approaches to finding balance and healing.

Women's awareness of the threat and reality of sexual violence is now perhaps more than ever publicly acknowledged. Yet this fact continues to be almost wholly ignored. This new study, based on in-depth interviews with 60 women, is the first to cover the experience of a range of forms of sexual violence over women's lifetimes. Drawing on feminist theory, developing a critique of male research and quoting extensively from the women interviewed, it developes feminist thought in several key areas: the similarities and differences between forms of sexual violence; the ways women define their experiences; and the strategies women use in resisting, coping with and surviving sexual violence. The author stresses the importance for all women of recognizing the incidents of sexual violence in their lives and seeing themselves and other women as survivors rather than victims. In highlighting the ways in which the media, the criminal justice system and even the "helping" profess ions contribute to the trivialization of sexual violence, she demonstrates the necessity of women organizing collectively to end this suffering.

The role of psychotherapists in creating change for survivors of sexual violence can extend far wider than the rooms in which appointments are provided. Psychotherapy with Survivors of Sexual Violence aims to provide psychotherapists with practical guidance that will enable them to work with the prolific societal issue of sexual violence, both in the privacy of clinical practice and the wider world as activists. Erene Hadjiioannou outlines the components of relational psychotherapy necessary to counter the trauma that brings survivors to services, with a particular focus on empowerment and the freedoms that constitute it. The book defines the neurophysiological systems involved in surviving traumatic experiences and common psychological presentations, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Hadjiioannou explains the long-standing challenges of delivering psychotherapy to survivors who have reported to the police from various perspectives: understanding the criminal justice system, note-keeping, and survivors’ experiences of reporting. Barriers to accessing support, including myths, are examined and the book includes interview quotes from a range of survivors as well as fictional case studies throughout. Psychotherapy with Survivors of Sexual Violence will be a key text for psychotherapists of all backgrounds working with survivors, and for mental health professionals in training.

Personal stories of surviving after the trauma of sexual assault. In the era of #MeToo, we’ve become better at talking about sexual assault. But sexual assault isn’t limited to a single, terrible moment of violence: it stays with survivors, following them wherever they go. Through the voices of twelve diverse writers, Whatever Gets You Through offers a powerful look at the narrative of sexual assault not covered by the headlines—the weeks, months, and years of survival and adaptation that people live through in its aftermath. With a foreword by Jessica Valenti, an extensive introduction by editors Stacey May Fowles and Jen Sookfong Lee, and contributions from acclaimed literary voices such as Alicia Elliott, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, Heather O’Neill, and Juliane Okot Bitek, the collection explores some of the many different forms that survival can take. From ice hockey to kink, boxing to tapestry-making, these striking personal essays address experiences as varied as the writers who have lived them. With candor and insight, each writer shares their own unique account of enduring: the everyday emotional pain and trauma, but also the incredible resilience and strength that can emerge in the aftermath of sexual assault. Contributors: Gwen Benaway Juliane Okot Bitek Elly Danica Amber Dawn Alicia Elliott Karyn Freedman Heather O’Neill Elisabeth de Mariaffi Lauren McKeon Soraya Palmer Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha Kai Cheng Thom

This is the second edition of a handbook for survivors of child sexual abuse and their helpers, featuring added material on the acknowledgement of survivors' strengths, the effect of sexual abuse on adult female sexuality and therapeutic themes.

This book helps to empower survivors of sexual violation to navigate through the healing process. Sexual violation affects survivors but does not have to dictate their future, and this book shows readers how various paths to healing can help them, not only overcome the trauma of sexual assault, but also thrive as they move on with their lives.

Twelve accounts from sexual assault survivors.

SEXUAL ABUSE ISN'T AN EXPERIENCE OF THE PAST - IT'S TRAUMA OF THE PRESENT UNTIL IT IS HEALED What if I told you it is possible to have a life after sexual abuse? That you are already worthy of a life that you deserve? Healing after any type of sexual trauma is a process of reclaiming the pieces of yourself, reclaiming parts of yourself that were wrongly taken. Life After Sexual Abuse: A Practical Healing Toolkit to Reconnect Mind, Body & Soul is the book that Stacie wished she had access to over a decade ago. It combines personal experience with trauma theory, writing therapy and suggested practical healing tools to heal mind, body and soul. This is an invitation to explore what will help you to heal - because you deserve to.  By the end of this book, you will feel empowered to take inspired steps towards the way you want to feel and the life you deserve. This book is a nurturing invitation to explore what you need to heal, to feel safe enough in the present, and to self-love. Healing after sexual trauma is never out 'there' - it is within you.