M y name is Christina Sapien and I have worked as a counselor for survivors of sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse for approximately two years now. It has been a difficult journey yet such a beautiful experience. I also know about sexual abuse from a personal perspective. Growing up my mother had these episodes that I did not quite understand especially not at the age of 8. As I got older, she informed me that she had been sexually abused by her father, physically and emotionally abused by her mother, and sexually assaulted as an adult. I did not quite understand everything she was telling me and I definitely did not understand what happened to my mom when she had a flashback or a nightmare. As a child, I wondered why my mom was hiding in the closet crying and telling me to get away and not hurt her. As a child, I wondered why my mother would cry out at night and scream. As a child, I wondered why my mother had so much depression and anxiety. I understand why now. But NOW it’s too late, my mother passed away approximately eight years ago. And even though I understand now, I never had the opportunity to tell her “I’m sorry.” I understand that she was overwhelmed by the repeated victimization that she experienced as a child and as an adult. As an adult and a counselor, now I understand the demons that tormented her days and nights. She was not able to get the help that she so desperately needed or the people that were trying to help could not get through.
Is it a coincidence that I became a counselor that deals primarily with sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse? I definitely don’t think so. I believe that this is where I need to be. I believe that even though it is a difficult subject that each one of us who has been affected by this type of abuse, can make a difference.
I want so badly to make a difference and reach out to others who have the courage to continue living their lives and trying to survive the trauma that they have experienced. There is no reason why any of us who have experienced some type of trauma can not heal and lead happy and healthy lives. We can! We just need to make a commitment to ourselves and if you are willing to do that today and everyday, then you will start to see the positive effects in your life. The beautiful people I have had the pleasure of meeting through this type of work have touched my life so deeply, that just like Angela Shelton and all you others out there, I have made a personal commitment to this cause.
My main objective with these posts is to help others heal by helping them understand what is going on and why. I will be writing post on the mind-body connection and on the different physical things that occur when someone has been traumatized. I will be writing on ways to help yourself heal by recognizing negative thought patterns and assist you in getting back in touch with some painful emotions so that you can process the trauma in a healthy manner. The most important posts will be about trusting in yourself and reconnecting with your intuition. These will all be exciting pieces, so please stay tuned and join us for a crazy and beautiful ride!
