Much remains hidden as survivors of sexual trauma do the hard work of healing. Naomi Ardea courageously offers a rare, in-depth view into the inner world of a victim finding her way to regain peace and wholeness. The Art of Healing from Sexual Trauma holds Ardea's soulful paintings, soothing photographs, and authentic, compassionate words. Within this memoir of healing moments, Ardea weaves insightful reflections on common trauma healing patterns as well as a practical, nurturing self-care guide for other survivors.

Contains a range of illustrative case material from both individual and group therapy. The book addresses important issues faced by professionals.

Overcome shame and stigma; and bring a newly felt sense of safety, awareness, and life to your body. If you’ve experienced rape, sexual abuse, molestation, or sexual trauma, you may feel as if you’ve lost your sense of self. You may have difficulty setting boundaries or building satisfying sexual relationships. Sometimes, you may even feel like your body isn’t your own. You aren’t alone. The scars of sexual trauma exist not only in the mind, but also in the body. And in order to heal, build resilience, and discover a sense of hope, you must address both. Drawing on the powerful mind-body techniques of somatic therapy, The Healing Sexual Trauma Workbook is a step-by-step guide to overcoming the psychological effects of sexual trauma, and increasing positive body awareness and vitality. You’ll find tools to help you create an internal sense of safety and become more embodied and present. You’ll also discover ways to establish boundaries; move beyond intense feelings like shame, fear, and guilt; and deal effectively with triggers. Finally, you’ll learn how to cultivate self-compassion and the confidence needed to live your best life. What happened to you isn’t your fault, and it doesn’t define you. With the right tools, you can live a full and satisfying life beyond sexual trauma. This workbook will help guide you, every step of the way.

Healing Sex is the encouraging, sex-positive guide for all women survivors of sexual assault - heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, coupled, and single - who want to delight in their own sexuality. While most books on the topic broach sexuality to reassure women that it's all right to say ''no'' to unwanted sex, Healing Sex encourages women to learn how to say ''yes'' - to their own desires and on their own terms

Go beyond the pain and fear of sexual abuse to heal the trauma Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) can be a physically and emotionally painful soul-shattering experience that can traumatize a person for a lifetime. The Wall of Fear: Crossing the Wall from Trauma to Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse is a unique exploration of the subjective experiences of both client and therapist as they together travel the path to recovery. Therapists get a clear illustration of the therapy process while CSA survivors are offered a gauge with which to judge their own progress toward recovery. New therapeutic concepts are clearly presented and extensively discussed while sensitively charting the experiences of clients on the journey toward healing. As Winston Churchill once said, If you’re going through hell, keep going. The Wall of Fear charts the arduous progress of a survivor from the initial understanding that they need help and guidance, to choosing the correct therapist, to the emotional roadblocks most clients face on their own personal recovery from the hell of CSA. The authors team up to courageously provide readers with a comprehensive and candid portrait of their experiences of CSA therapy while demonstrating the approaches which effectively enhance healing. Features include schematic drawings of the stages of therapy, the client’s own diary from her youth through her therapy in adulthood, client drawings illustrating progress in therapy, and effective art exercises that can be used at the beginning of therapy. The text includes extensive references, useful appendixes, and a helpful glossary of terms for the layperson. Topics in The Wall of Fear include: the nature of sexual trauma (the new concept of the World of Trauma) growing up traumatizedand its effect on friendships, sexual development, dating, and mate selection couples’ relationships and sexuality selecting a therapist the new concept of The Wall of Fear closure coping with the therapy process parenting by CSA survivors and the impact on the next generation the subjective experiences of both therapist and CSA survivor The Wall of Fear stands as a testament that no matter what sexual trauma a person may endure, there is hope for recovery. This is insightful, crucial reading for survivors of CSA and therapists at all levels of expertise.

Considered a classic in its field, this comprehensive guide will help survivors of sexual abuse improve their relationships and discover the joys of sexual intimacy. Wendy Maltz takes survivors step-by-step through the recovery process using groundbreaking exercises and techniques. Based on the author's clinical work, interviews, and workshops, this guide is filled with first-person accounts of women and men at every stage of sexual healing. This compassionate resource helps survivors to: Identify the sexual effects of sexual abuse Eliminate negative sexual behavior and resolve specific problems Gain control over upsetting automatic reactions to touch and sex Develop a healthy sexual self-concept

This book is a useful reference for anyone seeking to provide therapy to survivors of sexual abuse. The approach represented here is a holistic one that utilizes various approaches to heal the various manifestations of sexual abuse trauma. Since the acts associated with such abuse are often so difficult to discuss, this book presents several methods of communicating these unspeakable horrors nonverbally, allowing the survivor to express their trauma with less difficulty. This approach seeks to use the actions of the body to heal the mind. This text contains information relevant to treatment for children, adolescents, and adults, as well as male or female, and in group or individual settings. Many useful activities are outlined and illustrations are provided as examples.