Therapy
While working with an advocate at The Center, you might have needs emerge that could be best addressed in therapy. Advocates in any of The Center’s programs can provide a referral to therapy. Depending on your needs and circumstances, you may be referred to a therapist at The Center or to a community-based therapist or program.
What is the difference between counseling and therapy?
The Center’s advocates are skilled counselors who can provide a safe and confidential space for you to be heard, to learn about options, and to receive emotional support. Counseling is also a process where you can build skills and plan for your safety. Advocates help with meeting your needs by providing community referrals and supporting your decisions.
The Center’s therapists are trained and licensed mental health professionals who specialize in helping clients address concerns related to the trauma of abuse. Therapy is usually longer-term than counseling. Typically, clients meet weekly or biweekly with a therapist for six months to a year, depending on the collaborative goals set at the beginning of the therapy process. Therapists use a variety of techniques to help with recovery from trauma, including talking, art-making, movement, and mindfulness exercises.
Why do people go to therapy?
Clients who experience sexual abuse or intimate partner violence may experience post-traumatic stress symptoms that they would like to decrease. Some clients have other mental health concerns related to the abuse (or made worse by abuse) that they would like to address. Other clients participate in therapy because they want a safe place to process past difficult experiences, for support in making changes in their lives, or to process the effect trauma has on their relationships with others.
Is therapy only for me?
We understand that trauma doesn’t just affect the victim. Many times, the loved ones of the person hurt are also struggling with difficult feelings. We can provide therapy to individuals or to couples and families (with non-offending partners or parents). Please note: if you are still in an abusive relationship, we don’t recommend attending couple’s counseling with your abuser. Attending couple’s counseling with an abusive partner can increase safety concerns. It is recommended that you each receive individual counseling, and that an abusive partner find a counselor who is trained in batterer intervention. For more information on this topic, click here.
To connect with counseling and long-term therapy services, please contact our team at (502) 581-7222 for more information.
Additional Resources:
After Sexual Assault
https://rainn.org/get-information/sexual-assault-recovery/what-is-therapy
After Intimate Partner Violence
http://www.thehotline.org/2012/08/counseling-for-domestic-violence-survivors/
Free Book on Recovery from Rape
http://www.resurrectionafterrape.org/uploads/1/4/4/2/14422560/rarfree.pdf
