“RS was a victim of familial rape when she was a teenager at the hands of her father and uncle. She had kept most of her past a secret from everyone she’d met and had experienced four decades of flashbacks, nightmares, and mental health issues from never having dealt with her trauma from the abuse. When the #MeToo movement came about, she ultimately decided that she would seek help and wanted some type of support or counseling, but that she was too nervous to do so in-person. She began calling SAHC’s 24/7 hotline when she had a flashback and either a staff member or dedicated volunteer advocate were able to provide her with crisis intervention over the phone. We realized her severe trauma when she was calling several times per day just so that she wouldn’t need to be alone with her thoughts and flashbacks. In addition to the support provided by staff and volunteer advocates, we were able to arrange appointments with SAHC’s contractual therapist to provide more intensive therapeutic sessions so that she had the most assistance we could offer her.
She is now several months into her treatment plan and no longer calls the hotline number multiple times per day. She does maintain her weekly appointments with the contractual therapist so that she doesn’t regress, but she is on the path to healing after repressing her issues for the majority of her life. She has a long way to go, but it is fulfilling to know that she is no longer controlled by her trauma and that she feels she can manage the issues she has without spiraling out of control. Having a consistent support base from SAHC has contributed to this immensely and we look forward to continuing with her through her healing.”
– Sexual Assault Help Center