Sexual violence can affect life in many different ways. Many people experience psychological and physical distress after sexual violence, which can have a lasting impact on everyday life, relationships or one’s sense of self.
What consequences can experiences of sexual violence have?
People respond very differently to experiences of sexual violence. Possible consequences may include:
- distressing memories that suddenly arise in everyday life,
- anxiety and inner tension,
- feelings of guilt or shame,
- sleep difficulties,
- difficulties in interpersonal relationships,
- problems with closeness and trust,
- changes in body perception,
- depressive moods,
- concentration difficulties,
- emotional overwhelm.
Not everyone experiences the same difficulties. Every experience and every response to it is individual.
When can psychotherapy be helpful?
Psychotherapy can be helpful when the consequences of sexual violence affect current life or repeatedly appear in thoughts, feelings or relationships.
The aim is not to undo what has happened, but to develop a helpful way of dealing with the consequences of sexual violence and to reduce the resulting distress.
There is no fixed point in time at which therapy should begin. Some people seek support shortly after sexual violence, while others do so many years later. Both are understandable and can be a meaningful starting point for psychotherapeutic treatment.
My therapeutic approach
I work with cognitive behavioural therapy and evidence-based methods. Treatment is guided by your individual difficulties, your personal resources and your therapeutic goals.
Depending on the individual situation, trauma-focused approaches such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Imagery Rescripting and Reprocessing Therapy (IRRT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) may also be part of the treatment. Which methods are appropriate in each individual case depends on your needs and the course of therapy.
A trusting and respectful therapeutic relationship is important to me. You decide which topics you would like to work on and at what pace therapy proceeds.
Online and in person
Therapy can take place both in my practice in Berlin and online. Together, we can discuss which treatment format is suitable for your individual situation.
Contact and appointments
If you are looking for psychotherapeutic support after sexual violence or have questions about possible treatment, you are welcome to contact me by email or book an initial consultation online directly.