Has a Sexual Assault Changed Your Life?
If you have experienced a sexual assault—recently or in the past—it can profoundly affect your life.
Sexual assault therapy can help you move forward without requiring you to talk about the details or relive what happened.
Perhaps you experience:
Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts
Sudden thoughts or vivid memories of what happened may intrude when you least expect them.Disrupted sleep
You may have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing frightening dreams.Difficulty concentrating or remembering
It may be harder to focus on work, school, conversations, or the ordinary tasks of daily life.Feeling disconnected from yourself and others
You may shut out friends and family, isolate, or feel alone.Experiencing shame, self-blame, or helplessness
These feelings may affect your self-esteem or change the way you see yourself.Experiencing physical pain and tension
You may experience headaches, migraines, muscle tension, aches and pains, or other physical discomfort as your body responds to stress.Fear of not being believed
You may hesitate to tell someone because you fear they won’t believe you—or that you will be blamed or judged.Feeling as though you are broken
You may feel that life as you know it has completely changed—and wonder whether you will ever feel like yourself again.
Something happened to you. That is not who you are.
Your Mind Is Trying to Protect You
Sometimes a noise, a touch, a place, a smell, or something you cannot immediately identify may trigger a reaction
before you have time to think. The fight, flight, or freeze response happens automatically.
Then disbelief hits you.
Did this really happen? Is it all just a bad dream?
Maybe you numb out. Feeling nothing is better than feeling everything.
You keep yourself busy so there is no quiet space for thoughts or feelings.
As you stumble to the shower, you have a sinking feeling that your life will never be the same as it was before—
you will never be the same.
No one can really understand how profoundly everything has changed. With this comes a deep sense of sadness and loss.
Sexual assault can leave you feeling powerless and helpless.
Feelings of Guilt and Shame Often Grow from Beliefs Such As:
You didn’t stop the assault from happening.
Afterward, when you are no longer in danger, you may look back and judge what you did or didn’t do. But danger changes everything. During the assault, your brain and body were in shock. You could not think clearly. You did the best you could under extreme circumstances. If you could have stopped what happened, you would have.
You trusted someone you “shouldn’t” have.
Trusting someone does not make you responsible for what they chose to do. This was not your fault.
You were not cautious enough.
We cannot go through life constantly on high alert—just in case. We would be completely exhausted and unable to live our lives. The responsibility belongs to the person who chose to assault you.
I hope you understand: what happened was not your fault.
You Are Not Alone
Talking About a Sexual Assault Can Be Difficult
You may have needed someone to simply listen—to believe you without trying to explain what happened.
You may have needed someone to sit beside you and hold space without trying to fix you, cheer you up, or rush you to move forward.
Family and friends may have struggled to know how to support you.
Maybe they asked questions, not knowing whether that was okay.
Perhaps they became silent, afraid of saying the wrong thing. These are difficult times. What you needed may have been simple: to be heard and believed.
You Can Share as Much or as Little as You Choose
You will never have to explain or defend what happened, and you will never be asked to talk about the details.
You already know what happened. You lived through it. I do NOT want you to relive it.
I am here to validate and support you.
Your mind knows how to heal. It does it every day. Together, we will help your mind heal.
What Does Sexual Assault Therapy Look Like?
We Begin With a Complimentary Phone Consultation
We will begin with a complimentary 20-minute phone conversation.
You can tell me as much or as little as you choose about what is bringing you to therapy.
This gives you an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about me and how I work. Finding the right therapist is important. You can decide if it feels like a good fit.
First Session: Intake
The first session is intake. It generally lasts one to two hours, depending on what you feel is important for me to know.
We will talk and get to know each other as you share what you choose about yourself, your history, and what you would like to be different. As I listen, I begin putting together a plan for your TCM session.
You will never have to talk about anything you prefer not to discuss.
We will also talk about The Cortina Method (TCM). I will explain how it works, what you can expect during the session, and how it helps your mind heal without reliving what happened. You will have plenty of time to ask questions.
By the end of intake, you will know what to expect during your TCM session.
Second Session: The Cortina Method (TCM)
The TCM session generally lasts two to two and a half hours. It is relaxed, focused, and conversational. You can get comfortable and follow along while I do most of the talking.
TCM uses Memory Reconsolidation, a process your mind uses to heal. As we engage in conversation, your mind is healing without you even noticing.
You will not be asked to talk about the incident or relive what happened.
During the session, I will talk about how the mind works and guide you through a series of simple exercises using conversation and imagination. We may use stories, images, and even a little humor.
Guests have told me the session feels calming, relaxing, and peaceful—and that they feel lighter afterward.
Follow-Up
About a week after your TCM session, I will call you for a brief complimentary follow-up. We will talk about how you are doing, what you have noticed, and what is different. You can also let me know if anything else has come up.
After TCM
You may realize that the incident is no longer the first thing on your mind in the morning and the last thing on your mind at night. It is no longer in the forefront. It has faded into the distance.
Instead, you focus on your life and what is important to you. Your mind looks toward the future and what has value for you.
You feel peaceful and calm—and excited about life again. You may begin to feel more like yourself again.
I Invite You to Schedule a Complimentary Phone Consultation
I know it may be difficult to reach out. I invite you to set up a complimentary phone consultation. We can talk, and you can decide if it feels like a good fit.
I don’t want you to carry this one more day. I can help.
All you ever have to do is take the step that is in front of you.
Just that one step.
Life is short. Why not be happy?
About Cathy
Cathy Austin, LPC, NCC, is the founder of Inspired by Hope Counseling. She is a trauma-informed counselor who has spent years helping adults heal from trauma, PTSD, grief, and difficult life experiences.
She believes healing doesn’t have to mean reliving the past, and it doesn’t have to be painful.
Using neuroscience-informed approaches, Cathy helps people gently take the sharp edges off painful memories so they can move forward feeling calmer, lighter, and more like themselves again.
Her approach is kind, conversational, and respectful.
She provides virtual counseling throughout Colorado.
Perhaps You Still Have Some Questions…
What if I don’t have the time or money for ongoing counseling?
I understand that both time and cost matter. TCM is a focused approach and is not intended to become years of weekly counseling. We begin with a complimentary phone consultation. If this feels like the right approach for you, we can schedule an intake followed by a TCM session. It is always your choice.
Will I have to talk about what happened or relive it?
No. You decide what you share. You will not be asked to talk about the details or relive what happened.
How much experience do you have helping people who have experienced sexual assault?
I have many years of experience working with adults affected by trauma, PTSD, and sexual assault. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and trained in trauma-informed care and The Cortina Method.
Over the years, guests have told me they feel lighter and calmer. They have also shared that they can move forward with their lives without constantly being focused on what happened.
You can read more about guests’ experiences on my Testimonials page.
Can TCM help if what happened was many years ago?
Yes. The mind is powerful. It heals things every day.
I had an extremely traumatic experience and for the 10 years that followed, it loomed over me like a dark cloud. When a friend told me about TCM/Memory Reconsolidation, I thought it sounded too good to be true. To my surprise, it was brief and painless. I have my life back! My only regret is that I waited so long.
CC
As a clinician, I am confident and comfortable referring clients to Cathy, especially for her fine-tuned skills in TCM. She brings compassion for clients and quality to the work she does with traumatic experiences. I have known Cathy for several years and know that when I send someone to her, that she is equally kind, caring, and respectful.
Lori Johnson, M.A., LAC, LPC, NCC
Sexual Assault Therapy Throughout Colorado
4251 Kipling St #560
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
Sexual trauma has long-lasting effects that can impact the way you see the world. Whether you experienced a single traumatic event or years of abusive treatment, the impact can be profound. Rapid Resolution Therapy can help you clear your mind of the trauma and therefore clear the emotional feelings that you experience thinking about the trauma.