COUNSELING SERVICES

Sexual Abuse Recovery Counseling for Women

Compassionate, trauma-informed counseling for women in Hickory, NC, and surrounding communities who are navigating the emotional effects of sexual abuse.
Experiences of sexual abuse can affect trust, relationships, emotions, body image, safety, intimacy, and the way you understand yourself.

You may experience strong reactions to reminders of what happened, struggle with shame or self-blame, feel disconnected from your body, or find that experiences from the past continue to influence your present life.

I provide a confidential space where you can begin talking about these concerns without pressure to tell your entire story before you are ready. I am based in Hickory, North Carolina, and serve women in Hickory, Conover, Newton, Morganton, Statesville, Charlotte, and Lenoir.

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A Supportive Space

Sexual Abuse Recovery Counseling at a Glance

Who this is for

Women navigating emotional or relational effects connected with sexual abuse.

Counseling may support

Understanding trauma responses, reducing shame and self-blame, building grounding skills, processing difficult experiences, and reconnecting with the present.

My approach

Compassionate, collaborative, personalized, trauma-informed, neuroscience-informed, and confidential.

Location

Based in Hickory, NC, serving women throughout surrounding communities.

Next step

Contact me to ask about availability.

UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA AND TRUST

Understanding the Effects of Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse can influence the brain, nervous system, relationships, and sense of safety long after the experience itself.

You may feel hyperaware of danger, avoid certain situations, struggle with trust, or experience emotional and physical reactions that seem to come without warning.
You may also carry shame or responsibility that does not belong to you.

There is no single way a survivor is supposed to feel or respond. Counseling can begin with your individual experience.

SPACE TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND

How Counseling Can Help With Sexual Abuse Recovery

Depending on your needs, counseling may provide:

A confidential space to talk without judgment
Support understanding trauma responses
Grounding and present-moment skills
Help recognizing triggers
Space to address shame and self-blame
Support navigating trust and relationships
Help becoming more connected with your body and present experience
Trauma processing when appropriate and manageable

The goal is not to force you to relive painful experiences. We can focus on what is affecting your life now and determine together what needs attention.

Recognizing Your Experience

This Support May Be Helpful If…

Experiences of sexual abuse continue to affect your life.
You struggle with shame or self-blame.
You have difficulty trusting other people.
Certain situations trigger strong reactions.
You feel disconnected from your body.
Intimacy or relationships feel complicated.
You avoid reminders of what happened.
You feel as though the past is still influencing the present.
You want support without being pressured to disclose everything immediately.

Your experience does not need to fit one specific definition of trauma before you reach out.

Working Together

My Approach to Sexual Abuse Recovery

I approach this work with an understanding of how trauma can affect the brain and nervous system.

My priority is not to push you into retelling painful experiences. We can first understand what is happening now and build skills that support greater safety and presence.

I have training in EMDR and regularly work with trauma. When appropriate, trauma-focused processing may become part of our work.

Present-moment awareness can also help you notice when your nervous system is reacting to something from the past and practice returning your attention to what is happening now.