There is always Hope

Counselor's Corner

Hope from despair. There is hope and healing if you have been the Victim of Sexual Assault. This is the subject that will be the focus of my next week at Liberty, so it is entirely on my mind as I am preparing to teach on this subject. The statistics tell us that 1 in 4 women will be victim to a sexual assault, and 1 in 6 men.

There are many of you who have experienced this painful trauma in your life story. May I take the moment to say that the thought of anyone being harmed in this way is painful to me? And yet, I believe there is hope and healing that can be found even after such a devastating experience in life.

1 in 4 and 1 in 6. This prevalence rate is staggering, but more devastating than that are the effects that a sexual assault can have on a person over the course of a lifetime. There are physical, social, emotional, psychological and spiritual effects. May I also ask you to repeat after me, if you have suffered sexual assault at the hands of someone?
You are not alone.
It was not your fault.
You are not to blame.
You did not deserve it.
You did not ask for it.
You are not worthless.
You do not have to pretend that it never happened.
You are worthy of respect and dignity and honor.
This event does not have to define the rest of your life.
And yes, even with all of the pain, healing can occur.
There is always hope.
Blessings, Susie