Therapy for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
You may qualify for a year’s worth of therapy service. Inquire here
As an adult who experienced sexual abuse in childhood or adolescence, you wrestle with duality every day.
Outwardly…
Your life appears successful and fulfilling. You have a thriving career, a robust social circle, and experience moments of normalcy in your daily life.
You’ve taken great steps to understand your experience as a survivor, but there remain pieces that you struggle to heal on your own.
Internally…
Nothing feels settled or safe enough.
Every good day unsettles you, while you wait for the other shoe to drop.
You struggle with trusting others, worry others will leave you, and have unexpected, overwhelming emotions without warning.
Childhood sexual abuse can have a lasting and hidden impact on you.
You are triggered by both small and large things. As you prepare for a big promotion, move in with your partner, or have a child, you may find yourself suddenly struggling with anxiety, flashbacks, or haunting memories.
Maybe the feelings never went away. But you keep them at bay so you can enjoy the life and relationships that you have painstakingly created, despite the inner turmoil you feel.
It’s not uncommon for survivors to also:
Dissociate or feel disconnected from their body or reality
Engage in out-of-control sexual behavior, have difficulty during sex, or avoid sex altogether
Experience sexual assault or unwanted sexual experiences in adulthood
Feel dirty, gross, and like there’s something “bad” inside you
Blame yourself for the abuse, believing you allowed or caused it to happen
Wonder if the abuse ‘counted’ or was ‘bad enough’
You would give anything to just feel normal.
You’d love to not be haunted by memories and flashbacks, but to feel understanding around your experience. You’re ready to experience fewer struggles with sexuality and intimacy and instead feel powerful, in control, and good about yourself.
We can help you get there.
As specialists in supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse, we can help you…
✔ Create a fulfilling, vibrant life where the abuse is not a defining factor
✔ Process and normalize complicated feelings about the abuse and abuser
✔ Experience more trust, stability, and safety within your close relationships
✔ Explore your struggles and feelings around sexuality and intimacy
✔ Determine if and when you want to share the abuse with anyone
✔ Reduce flashbacks, nightmares, and unsettling feelings
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to your therapy.
Our approach is highly customizable to your history, unique needs, and specific goals. We may consider the age at which the abuse happened, your relationship to the abuser, emotional and legal implications around disclosing the abuse, the frequency and intensity of symptoms, and most importantly, your personal preferences before we recommend how to proceed in therapy.
Holding your unique experience with compassion, we will explain therapy options that will be the most effective for addressing your goals for therapy.
We may offer a blend of EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), somatic and relational work, sand tray, and art therapy to help you foster self-compassion, re-embodiment, and a reclaiming of trust—in yourself and others.
Why us?
Our therapists are extensively trained in understanding the dynamics of CSA and the ways it can show up in adulthood. This ensures we understand your symptoms and can provide you with treatment that solves the issue at its root.
Our experience as child therapists provides a deeper layer of specialization to understand how the abuse may have uniquely impacted you based on your age and development.
We understand all the complex, conflicting feelings around the abuse:
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It feels improbable that anyone could understand your complex feelings towards the abuser or your reasons for not telling anyone it was happening.
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It’s possible you never disclosed it to anyone and worried about what might happen if you do as an adult. You may have disclosed the abuse as a child and it went terribly; you were blamed, not believed, removed from your home, or lost cherished relationships. It’s equally valid if you feel complicated feelings about your abuse if your disclosure was met with understanding and protection. All of these experiences are uniquely valid.
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In addition to the harm of the abuse, other factors can increase the pain of your experience. Such as, what happened after disclosure, how family members did (or didn’t respond), stigma from your community, loss of close relationships – even the loss of the relationship to the abuser – and how misunderstood you may feel as an adult.
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We understand the fears you may have – that the abuser may be seen as a villain, that your feelings towards them will be misunderstood, or that you will be blamed for the abuse.
Financial assistance: Your therapy sessions may be fully covered for 12 months.
All of You Therapy is a registered provider to accept payment through the Pennsylvania Victim’s Compensation Assistance Program
Survivors of sexual abuse that occurred in the state of Pennsylvania are eligible for up to $5,000 in funding for therapy services if the crime occurred in adulthood and $10,000 if the crime occurred in childhood.
You don’t have to report what happened, talk to the police, or ‘prove’ the abuse occurred to access benefits. Your therapy session remains confidential and your privacy is protected.
To learn more about VC benefits, click here.
Will I have to report the abuse?
In most cases, we won’t ask you to report your abuse to anyone or take legal action. As mandatory reporters, there are some nuances we will navigate together so you can feel informed and empowered before you disclose any information. Your consent matters most to us.
You don’t have to share specifics about the abuse or abuser for therapy to help you. We use modalities that don’t solely rely on sharing specifics to heal. We can help you process what happened to you, reduce your triggers, and regain safety and trust again, without you sharing anything you’re not ready to yet.
You can experience life no longer defined by the abuse.
Empowerment, safety, and self-trust are possible for you.
We can help you more deeply understand and heal from the impacts of childhood sexual abuse, so you can continue to lean into your life wholeheartedly.