Helping a child heal from sexual assault is a long and delicate process that requires patience, love, and professional support. Here’s how you can support their healing:
1. Believe and Reassure Them
• Tell them “I believe you,” “It’s not your fault,” and “You are safe now.”
• Avoid questioning or doubting their experience—your belief is crucial to their healing.
2. Ensure Their Safety
• If the perpetrator is someone they know, make sure they have no contact.
• Create an environment where they feel secure and protected.
3. Seek Professional Help.
At The Counseling Place, we believe that nearly every person who has been sexually assaulted needs EMDR Therapy. We have done this with 100’s of victims. Sexual assault many times leaves a person feeling gross, damaged, and is very traumatizing. We have found that EMDR Therapy is the most effective way to neutralize the trauma, so that it is not sitting within the individual as they go through their life.
4. Be Patient with Their Healing Process
• Children process trauma differently—some may talk, while others may become withdrawn.
• Let them express their emotions in their own time and way.
5. Help Them Regain a Sense of Control
• Give them choices in daily activities (e.g., picking out clothes, choosing meals) to rebuild a sense of autonomy.
• Teach them about personal boundaries and body autonomy in an age-appropriate way.
6. Watch for Emotional and Behavioral Changes
• Symptoms may include nightmares, bedwetting, aggression, anxiety, lashing out, or withdrawal.
• If signs persist or worsen, seek additional professional guidance.
7. Encourage Healthy Coping Mechanisms
• Engage them in activities that promote self-expression, such as art, music, or journaling.
8. Maintain Normalcy and Routine
• Structure provides a sense of stability. Keep up with school, social activities, and family routines as much as possible.
9. Take Care of Yourself Too
• Supporting a child through trauma is emotionally taxing. You can question yourself as a parent and feel lost in how to handle the situation. You can feel traumatized as well. This is all normal! Seek therapy or support groups for yourself as well.
• Be mindful of your own emotions—children pick up on adult stress. At times, children can only heal their trauma to the extent that their parent heals their’s.
10. Keep Communication Open
• Let them know they can talk to you anytime without fear of judgment.
• Answer their questions honestly in an age-appropriate way.
Would you like help finding specific resources or professional support? Feel free to contact The Counseling Place at 303-241-0421. Many of our therapists have specialized in sexual trauma for decades.