Sexual Trauma Therapy in Lynnwood, WA & Online in WA and CA
Healing From Sexual Trauma With Safety, Choice, and Compassion
When Sexual Trauma Lives On
in the Body
Sexual trauma can profoundly affect how you feel in your body, your relationships, and your sense of safety in the world.
What makes sexual trauma especially painful is that it often involves violation of boundaries, loss of control, and betrayal of trust—sometimes by someone you knew, depended on, or loved.
Many survivors carry deep confusion, shame, or self-blame, even when they logically know what happened was not their fault.
You may have been told to “move on,” minimize what happened, or stay silent.
You may appear high-functioning on the outside—while inside, your nervous system is still bracing.
If this resonates, I want you to know:
Your reactions make sense. Your body adapted to survive.
Common Symptoms of Sexual Trauma
Anxiety, panic, or shutdown in intimate or vulnerable situations
Disconnection or numbness from your body
Difficulty with touch, sex, or physical closeness
Strong emotional reactions that feel “out of proportion”
Hypervigilance, startle response, or feeling constantly on edge
Shame, self-criticism, or feeling “damaged”
Difficulty trusting others or setting boundaries
Dissociation, spacing out, or losing time
Chronic tension, pain, or a sense that your body isn’t safe
Sexual trauma can stem from childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, coercion, boundary violations, or repeated experiences where your “no” wasn’t respected—even if no one ever named it as trauma.
What Healing From Sexual Trauma Can Look Like
✅ Feeling safer and more present in your body
✅ Reduced shame and self-blame
✅ More choice around intimacy, boundaries, and connection
✅ Your nervous system no longer reacting as if the trauma is still happening
✅ Being able to say yes, no, or maybe—with clarity and self-trust
✅ Reclaiming your body as yours
Healing happens gradually, with pacing, consent, and deep respect for your system’s wisdom.
How I Work With Sexual Trauma
I take a gentle, collaborative, and body-based approach, especially mindful of how easily sexual trauma can be re-triggering. You are always in control of the pace, focus, and depth of our work. We do not rush into details. We focus first on safety, stabilization, and internal trust.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Using Internal Family Systems, we explore the parts of you that developed to survive sexual trauma—such as parts that freeze, dissociate, avoid closeness, or stay hyper-alert.
Rather than trying to “get rid of” these responses, we approach them with curiosity and compassion.
IFS helps you:
Reduce internal shame and self-blame
Understand protective coping strategies
Build internal safety and self-leadership
Heal attachment wounds related to betrayal or violation
EMDR Therapy
With Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, we gently process traumatic memories that remain stuck in the nervous system.
EMDR can help:
Reduce emotional intensity connected to traumatic experiences
Decrease body-based reactions and triggers
Allow memories to feel more distant and less overwhelming
We move slowly, with strong resourcing, so your system never feels pushed or flooded.
Somatic Experiencing
Sexual trauma often involves immobility, freeze responses, or loss of bodily autonomy, which can leave trauma stored in the body.
Through Somatic Experiencing, we work with physical sensations rather than forcing verbal recall.
Somatic work helps:
Restore a sense of agency and choice in your body
Release survival energy held in the nervous system
Rebuild a felt sense of safety and embodiment
This approach is especially supportive if talking alone hasn’t led to lasting change.
You Set the Pace
Reaching out after sexual trauma takes courage. You don't have to be "ready" to talk about everything, and nothing happens in our work without your consent.
We start with getting to know you. I'll ask about what's bringing you to therapy now and what you're hoping will feel different, not about the details of what happened.
We talk about safety and comfort. Where you'd like to sit, whether you prefer the camera on or off for online sessions, and what helps you feel grounded.
We go over how therapy works. Confidentiality, how EMDR, IFS and somatic work might help, and how we'll pace things.
You ask anything you'd like. About me, my approach or what to expect.
We end with grounding. So you leave feeling steady, not stirred up.
What Your First Session Looks Like
Your Choices in Every Session
No details required. You never have to describe what happened to heal from it.
Pause anytime. You can stop, slow down or change direction whenever you need to, and you don't have to explain why.
Your body, your boundaries. We check in about what feels okay, including eye contact, silence and the pace of our work.
We build safety first. We won't process trauma memories until you have tools to feel grounded and supported.
You lead, I follow. Healing happens at the speed of trust, and your nervous system sets the pace.
When you're ready, the first step is simply a free 20-minute conversation, with no pressure and no commitment.
Sexual Trauma Therapy FAQs
1. Will I have to share details of what happened?
No. You never have to share details you're not ready to share. In sexual trauma therapy with me, you decide what to talk about and when. EMDR, IFS and Somatic Experiencing let us work with what your body and nervous system are holding without retelling the full story. Many survivors heal while sharing very little out loud. We always start by building safety and trust, and you can pause, slow down or change direction at any time.
2. Can EMDR help with sexual trauma?
Yes. EMDR is one of the most researched therapies for trauma and is recommended by the World Health Organization for PTSD. For sexual trauma, EMDR can help painful memories, body reactions and beliefs like "it was my fault" or "I'm damaged" lose their intensity. I combine EMDR with IFS and Somatic Experiencing, so processing stays paced and grounded, and your body feels safer, not overwhelmed.
3. What if I don't remember everything?
That's very common, and you don't need a complete memory to heal. Trauma is often stored as fragments: body sensations, emotions, images or reactions that don't make sense. In therapy, we work with what you're experiencing now, such as the anxiety, shutdown or shame, rather than trying to dig up or piece together memories. Your healing doesn't depend on remembering every detail.
4. Do you work with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse?
Yes. I work with adults healing from childhood sexual abuse, as well as sexual assault, coercion and repeated boundary violations. Childhood sexual abuse often shapes how you relate to your body, intimacy, trust and self-worth. Using EMDR, IFS (parts work) and somatic therapy, we gently care for the younger parts of you that carried this alone, so you can feel safer and more at home in yourself. I see adults in person in Lynnwood, WA and online across Washington and California.
5. Is what I share in therapy confidential?
Yes. What you share in therapy is confidential and protected by law. There are a few legal exceptions, such as if a child or vulnerable adult is currently at risk, or if someone is in immediate danger. I'll explain these clearly in our first session so you know exactly what to expect.
Virtual
Lynnwood WA
Hybrid
Sexual Trauma Therapy
in WA & CA
I offer sexual trauma therapy in person in Lynnwood, WA and through telehealth for clients throughout Washington and California.