How do I start healing after Sexual Assault?
There’s no one right way to heal after sexual assault. Your healing journey is yours alone — and it doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Some people feel ready to talk right away; others need weeks, months, or years. Some focus on therapy, others lean on movement, creativity, spirituality, or community. Whatever path you take, know this:
Healing is possible. You are not alone. And you are never too far gone to begin.
Here are a few ways to begin your healing process:
1. Talk to someone — but only if and when you're ready.
You don’t have to share everything all at once. You don’t have to relive the details. But letting someone trustworthy — a friend, therapist, advocate, or support group — hold space for you can be a powerful first step.
2. Find a therapist who understands trauma.
Not all therapy is created equal. A provider who’s trained in trauma or sexual violence can help you move at your own pace, develop coping tools, and begin to feel safe in your body again. It’s okay if you have to meet a few before finding the right fit.
3. Let your body move.
Trauma can live in the body — and so can healing. Gentle movement like yoga, walking, dancing, or stretching can help release stored tension and reconnect you to your physical self. Start small. No pressure. Just kindness.
4. Name what’s helping and what’s harming.
Not everyone in your life may respond the way you need them to. You’re allowed to set boundaries. You’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to say “this isn’t helping me” — and walk away from people, places, or practices that don’t support your healing.
5. Know that setbacks are not failures.
Healing isn’t a straight line. You might feel okay one day and overwhelmed the next. That doesn’t mean you’re back at square one — it means you’re human. You’re still healing. And that’s okay.
There’s no timeline. No checklist. No finish line.
Healing doesn’t mean forgetting — it means remembering who you are outside of what happened to you. You are still whole. You are still worthy. And you are more than your trauma.
