Sexual abuse, so common in women and many men, is damaging at any time of life, and particularly hard to process as a child, giving rise to many symptoms of impairment. Kate works sensitively with each client, working with them through the long, slow process of healing.
I have extensive experience working with people who have suffered sexual abusr/assault, & specialise in childhood sexual abuse. My person centered, strengths based & trauma informed practice helps me to create a safe & comfortable therapeutic environment & build a trusting relationship with individuals. This creates a healing environment & supports people to find a way to live with their trauma experiences. I often explain this work through the analogy of wound healing. Before one begins to work on past trauma, the memories are like an open wound. They are painful & have not healed. Through the process of counselling (I've found talking & narrative therapy to be very helpful for clients around these issues) the wound heals & becomes a scar. Whilst you can never remove it, the scar no longer hurts & is just a memory of the incident(s), a memory that no longer has the capacity to hurt.
Someone who has experienced sexual assault/ abuse will experience a range of symptoms and reactions. It is important you talk to someone who is safe and are able to get the support needed to heal.