Sexual Abuse therapists in Woodbridge, Virginia VA

I look forward to continuing to work with individuals who have experienced sexual abuse. My hope is that as we collaborate, they begin to change the way they view their experiences, understand their ability to create the lives and connections they desire and come to realize how brave and powerful they have been in the past, are now and can be into the future!  

Many of our therapists work with sexual abuse survivors. We feel that sexual abuse survivors need and deserve a safe and secure place to discuss their pain and survivor-hood. Dr. Sanness and Dr. Nelson specialize in trauma. Dr. Sanness also specialized in Complex Trauma (repeated trauma that has occurred over developmental time periods throughout the life-span).  

I often apply current, best-practice treatments for PTSD and depression to aid my clients in recovery from past sexual abuse experiences, both from child- and adulthood. These techniques help clients heal regardless of whether the abuse occurred briefly or over a prolonged period. I treat both men and women with histories of sexual abuse and assault and try to be especially attuned to the unique forms of stigma that are often perceived by clients.  

Sexual abuse often creates very painful symptoms and is something for which I use a therapy called Prolonged Exposure (PE). In this therapy, we will revisit traumatic situations, process painful emotions, and change unhelpful beliefs about yourself and the world around you as a result of your trauma. People are often amazed at how quickly this treatment can work and by the very meaningful change that can result. For these reasons, this is one of my favorite treatments to provide.  

Sexual abuse is much more common than most people realize. Processing and treating sexual abuse is an important part of recovery.