“Our job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending — to rise strong, recognize our story, and rumble with the truth until we get to a place where we think, Yes. This is what happened. This is my truth. And I will choose how this story ends.” – Brené Brown

Trauma doesn’t only affect our minds; it can profoundly affect our unconscious bodily processes too (van der Kolk, 2014).

In the words of Caroline Myss, “As our lives unfold, our biological health becomes a living, breathing biographical statement that conveys our strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and fears.”

Trauma can:

• Cause us to develop PTSD – as is seen in 10% to 23% of survivors (Bryant et al., 2010).
• Prevent us from verbalizing our feelings and memories (van der Kolk, 2014).
• Put us in a cycle of fight-or-flight responses that can make it difficult to enjoy a regular, everyday life (Lorenz et al., 2015).

Survivors of sexual trauma can experience:

• Challenges of feeling a sense of safety and trust.
• A lack of interest in sex (Maltz, 2002).
• Difficulty becoming aroused and experiencing pleasure (Maltz, 2002).
• Problems with sustaining or establishing intimate relationships (Maltz, 2002).

Often, survivors can experience feelings of shame when talking about their trauma, and this shame can lead to re-traumatization (Schomerus et al., 2021).

Fortunately, talking about our trauma is not the only way to heal.

Modalities that work with somatic symptoms – such as pelvic floor therapy – can provide us with the necessary tools to help calm the nervous system and break the cycle of fight-or-flight (Lorenz et al., 2015).

By using these non-verbal modalities, we can work immediately with our dysregulated nervous system, thereby treating our somatic symptoms and triggers to support our bodies in moving to a state of emotional homeostasis (van der Kolk, 2014).

Rewire Trauma Therapy’s Healing From Sexual Abuse and Reproductive Trauma program can support us in moving to this state.

The program assists in healing the effects of sexual and reproductive trauma, gently mending our relationship with sex and intimacy (Maltz, 2002).

Our multidisciplinary approach aims to move us towards appreciating our bodies and sexuality as a sanctuary built with strength and resilience.

The program is comprised of two components: The practical component includes several non-verbal exercises, including pelvic floor therapy, mindfulness-based rewriting of our sexual script, and a series of neuroplasticity exercises. The theoretical component includes nine expert-led theory modules, offering insight into the complex nature of sexual and reproductive trauma and exploring different ways we can begin to rewrite our sexual scripts and reconnect to our bodies.

Together, the components of the program seek to help us recognize our stories, define our truths, and discover inner resilience.