Abuse
The psychological wounds of abuse are often more severe and harder to heal than bodily injuries…
Abuse in any form, physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal, is never warranted and its effects are felt long after the abuse has ended. But, even after something as grievous as abuse, recover and hope for the future are possible.
Overcoming the trauma of abuse can be scary. The counselors at Light the Way will provide a safe and confidential environment in which abuse survivors can express and process their feelings, thoughts, and fears.
We can help you.
Create a safety plan if you are currently in an abusive situation
Express and process difficult emotions associated with the abuse
Develop self-compassion and self-care strategies
Learn to trust again
Lean ways to cope with, manage, and reduce anxiety and anger
Work through the guilt and shame often experienced by survivors
Rebuild a sense of self-worth
Abuse may look like:
Scratching, punching, biting, kicking, pushing
Hair pulling
Name-calling
Telling someone what to do and wear
Stalking
Preventing someone from seeing or talking with friends or family
Unwanted kissing or touching
Unwanted sexual activity or forcing someone to have sex or perform sexual acts
Refusing to use contraceptives or preventing someone from protecting themselves against STI's
Sexual contact with someone unable to give clear and informed consent
Forbidding someone to work
Giving someone an allowance and closely watching what they buy
Denying someone access to their paycheck
Pressure to send explicit videos or texts
Sending negative, insulting, or threatening emails, Facebook messages, tweets, or other messages online