counseling for

sexual

assault

tulsa oklahoma

Sexual assault can take

various forms, covering a wide range of unwanted sexual encounters. This includes actions such as childhood sexual abuse, rape, attempted rape, incest, exhibitionism, voyeurism, obscene phone calls, inappropriate touching, and sexual harassment.

Even though these forms differ, they share a common root cause: in any case of sexual assault, the survivor undergoes a loss of power and control over the situation.

Have you ever…

  • Been physically forced into a sexual act against your will?

  • Said "no" or asked someone to stop after initially giving consent, but they continued anyway?

  • Felt pressured, manipulated, or blackmailed into engaging in sexual activities?

  • Felt like you had no other choice but to engage in sexual acts, like genital touching, oral sex, or penetration?

  • Experienced unwanted and unprovoked sexual advances, even after making it clear that you're not interested and want the behavior to stop?

  • Found yourself in a situation where you couldn't verbally give consent for sexual acts, such as being unconscious, underage, intoxicated, or drugged?

Many people in the

believe that sexual assault only happens in shadowy alleys, where a stranger physically forces sexual acts upon their victim. However, this scenario is quite rare. In most cases of sexual assault, the survivor knows the perpetrator and may even have a friendly relationship with them.

While each instance of sexual violence is unique, they all share a common element: the perpetrator seeks power and control over their victim. Often, this desire for power is more significant than the desire for sex, indicating that sexual assault is primarily about gaining control rather than being driven by desire or unreciprocated attraction.

After experiencing a sexual assault,

many victims wrestle with feelings of shame and humiliation. Even though they understand that what happened was undesired and not their fault, the urge to regain control over their situation sometimes leads them to try to perceive the incident as their own fault. They might think that if they never [fill in the blank], this won't happen again. Unfortunately, these beliefs are not true. Your actions had nothing to do with the actions of the perpetrator. They made the choice to take away your choices and control. While we might comprehend this in our minds, truly feeling it in our hearts can be a painful and complex process.

With the support of a trained therapist

at Exhale Counseling and Wellness, you can start regaining control over your life. In therapy, you'll have the opportunity to work through the pain you've been made to endure and work towards a point where that event no longer dominates your identity. Many survivors of sexual assault aim for this during therapy.

Through a trusting and open connection with your therapist, we aspire to assist you in transitioning from merely surviving to truly thriving. Our goal is to help you embrace and celebrate every part of yourself.