Sexual Trauma | Apex Psychological Services

Understanding Sexual Trauma

Sexual trauma encompasses a range of experiences — childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, rape, coercive sexual experiences within relationships, unwanted sexual contact, and exposure to sexual material without consent. These experiences can have profound and lasting effects on mental health, sexual wellbeing, relationships, and sense of self.

The impact of sexual trauma is not determined by the severity of the act as judged externally. It is shaped by the person’s experience of what happened — the terror, the violation, the powerlessness — and the context in which it occurred. Trauma inflicted by a trusted person, trauma in childhood, trauma within a relationship, and repeated trauma all have particularly significant effects.

Sexual trauma does not define you. With specialist, carefully paced support, meaningful and lasting recovery is possible for the vast majority of survivors — whatever the nature of the trauma and however long ago it occurred.

Recovery is possible: Sexual trauma responds well to specialist, trauma-informed therapy. Many survivors experience profound and lasting change — including from trauma that occurred years or decades ago.

How Sexual Trauma Affects Wellbeing

Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms

Intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and emotional numbing — the core symptoms of PTSD — are extremely common following sexual trauma.

Sexual Difficulties

Sexual trauma frequently causes sexual difficulties including low desire, aversion to sexual contact, inability to become aroused, pain during sex, or inability to be present during sexual activity.

Shame and Self-Blame

Sexual trauma generates intense shame in a very high proportion of survivors — shame that belongs to the perpetrator but is carried, often for decades, by the person who was harmed.

Trust and Relationship Difficulties

Trauma inflicted by another person — particularly a trusted person — can fundamentally damage the capacity to trust, affecting all subsequent intimate and close relationships.

Dissociation

During sexual contact or at other times, survivors may experience dissociation — a disconnection from body, feelings, or reality — as an automatic protective response.

Impact on Identity

Sexual trauma can profoundly affect a person’s sense of themselves — their body, their sexuality, their lovability, and their safety in the world.

How Specialist Therapy Helps

Safety and Stabilisation

Before any processing of traumatic memories, establishing safety — both internal resources for managing distress and safety within the therapeutic relationship. This phase is never rushed.

Trauma Informed Assessment

A careful, paced assessment of the nature and impact of the trauma — conducted with sensitivity to the risk of re-traumatisation.

Trauma Processing

Using evidence-based approaches including Trauma-Focused CBT and EMDR to process traumatic memories at a pace determined entirely by the individual — so that they lose their power to intrude and overwhelm.

Shame and Self-Blame Work

Addressing the shame that sexual trauma generates — including the widespread but inaccurate belief that the survivor was in some way responsible for what happened.

Sexual Recovery

Carefully and gently addressing the impact of trauma on sexual wellbeing — when the survivor is ready — including rebuilding a positive relationship with the body and with sexual experience.

Relationship and Trust

Exploring the impact of trauma on the capacity for trust and intimacy, and gently developing more secure ways of relating to others.

Individual & Couple Therapy

Individual Therapy

A safe, non-pressured space to explore the origins of your aversion, reduce fear and avoidance, and gradually — entirely at your pace — build a more comfortable relationship with your body and with intimacy.

Couple Therapy

When aversion is affecting a relationship, couple therapy helps your partner understand your experience, removes pressure and expectations, and supports you in developing a shared approach to closeness that feels safe for both of you.

Whether the priority is individual self-exploration or rebuilding intimacy as a couple, therapy is compassionate, non-judgmental, and tailored to your unique circumstances.

What You Can Expect from Treatment

Process the trauma : Work through traumatic memories at a safe pace so they lose their intrusive power
Address shame : Release shame that belongs to the perpetrator, not to you
Reclaim your sexuality : When ready, rebuild a positive, autonomous relationship with your sexuality and your body
Rebuild trust and safety : Develop greater capacity for trust and intimacy in relationships

What our clients say

"I carried what happened for thirty years before I spoke to anyone. My therapist was patient, careful, and completely non-judgemental. The change over the course of therapy has been profound. "

— Anonymous

"Recovery is not linear but it is real. My therapist helped me understand that what I experienced was trauma and that my responses made complete sense. That validation alone was transformative."

— Anonymous

"The pacing was entirely mine. I was never pushed to go further than felt manageable. That safety was what made the work possible."

— Anonymous

Our Therapists

Our COSRT-accredited therapists hold specialist postgraduate training in trauma-focused therapy for sexual trauma, including Trauma-Focused CBT and EMDR. They bring both the clinical expertise and the human sensitivity that working with trauma survivors requires — including an unwavering commitment to working at the survivor’s pace.

Many survivors of sexual trauma have never spoken to anyone about their experience. Our therapists are aware of the courage that first contact requires, and they approach this work with the utmost care — building safety gradually and never pushing the pace beyond what feels manageable.

Your First Session

Your first session is a warm, confidential conversation about your experience — what you have been noticing, how long it has been affecting you, and what you hope to achieve. There is no pressure and no predetermined agenda. Your therapist will listen carefully and develop a personalised treatment plan collaboratively with you.

Between Sessions

Psychosexual therapy involves work between sessions as well as within them. Your therapist will discuss any tasks, exercises, or reflections that may support your progress. These are always agreed collaboratively and tailored entirely to your situation and pace.

No GP Referral Needed

You do not need a GP referral to book with us. You can contact us directly for a confidential initial consultation. We are happy to work alongside your GP or other healthcare providers with your consent.

If you are in crisis: Apex Psychological Services is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact NHS 111, call 999, or attend your nearest A&E. Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123 (free, any phone).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How is trauma-informed therapy different from regular therapy?

Trauma-informed therapy is specifically structured to avoid re-traumatisation — proceeding only when safety and stabilisation are established, and never pushing the pace beyond what is manageable for the individual.

2. Do I have to describe what happened in detail?

No. Effective trauma processing does not require a detailed verbal account of events. Your therapist will explain the approaches that work without requiring re-narration of traumatic experiences.

3. How long will therapy take?

Trauma therapy takes as long as it takes — and that varies considerably. Your therapist will review progress regularly. Many people begin to notice meaningful improvement within the first 12 sessions, with deeper change emerging over 24-36 sessions for more complex presentations.

4. Is the therapy confidential?

Yes, absolutely. Everything discussed in therapy is held in complete confidence in accordance with COSRT professional ethics. The only exceptions are if we have serious concerns about your safety or the safety of a child, which your therapist will explain at your initial session.

No referral needed: You can contact us directly without a GP referral or existing diagnosis. We respond to all enquiries within one working day, Monday to Friday.

Fees

Session Fees

Individual Sessions: £90 per session (50 minutes)
Couple Sessions: £130 per session (50 minutes)

Session Frequency

Most clients attend weekly or fortnightly sessions. You and your therapist will agree a frequency that suits your needs.
Both in-person and online appointments are available.

Please use our contact form to arrange a consultation. We respond within one working day.