A note before you read: this article discusses sexual abuse and its effects. Please go at your own pace, and take a break whenever you need one. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For free, confidential support in the U.S., you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or chat at rainn.org. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988.
Sexual abuse and assault can affect far more than memory. Many survivors describe changes in how they feel in their bodies, how they relate to others, and how safe they feel in intimacy. If that's true for you, it is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It is a very human response to something that should never have happened.
This guide explains how sexual trauma can show up in the body and nervous system, what somatic (body-based) therapy may offer, and some gentle steps you can take at your own pace.
You are not alone. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of women and more than 1 in 6 men have experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetimes. More than 1 in 5 women and 1 in 31 men have experienced completed or attempted rape, and many survivors were first victimized as children or young adults (CDC, n.d.).
Many experiences are never reported, for understandable reasons such as fear, shame, self-blame, or not being believed. Whether or not you have told anyone, your experience matters.
Survivors often describe lasting effects on how they see themselves. Research on survivors of childhood sexual abuse has found differences in sexual self-concept, meaning how a person understands themselves as a sexual being (Guyon et al., 2020). Common experiences include:
Research also shows that healing is possible. A study of women survivors of childhood sexual abuse described how many had developed positive, self-defined views of their sexuality (Hitter et al., 2017).
You may have heard that trauma is "stored in the body." That phrase is a helpful shorthand, but it's worth being precise. Memories aren't literally held inside muscles. What research does show is that trauma can change how the nervous system and body respond to the world:
These are protective responses that made sense at the time. Somatic approaches work with them gently, rather than trying to force them away. For a deeper look at activation and shutdown, see our guide to the window of tolerance.
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that supports the bladder, bowel, and (for people with a uterus) the uterus, and plays a role in sexual function. It commonly tightens under stress. Some survivors notice ongoing pelvic tension, which can be associated with pain during sex, pelvic pain, or bladder and bowel symptoms.
If you have any of these symptoms, it is worth seeing a medical provider and a pelvic floor physical therapist. Ask whether they work in a trauma-informed way. They can check for other causes and guide you safely. Somatic therapy can be a helpful complement to that care.
Somatic therapy focuses on what's happening in your body right now, rather than requiring you to retell your story in detail. For many survivors, this feels safer and more manageable.
Somatic Experiencing works with body sensations in small, manageable steps, helping the nervous system move between activation and calm without becoming overwhelmed. A randomized controlled trial found that SE reduced PTSD symptoms compared with a waitlist group (Brom et al., 2017), and a 2021 scoping review found positive early evidence while calling for more rigorous studies (Kuhfuß et al., 2021).
Internal Family Systems helps you get to know the protective parts of you, such as the part that shuts down, the part that feels ashamed, or the part that stays on guard, with compassion rather than judgment.
TRE uses gentle exercises to invite the body's natural tremor response, which many people find calming. For survivors of sexual trauma, we recommend learning TRE with a practitioner first, ideally alongside other support, because body sensations in the hips and pelvis can bring up strong feelings.
Somatic therapy is not the only path. Trauma-focused therapies such as cognitive processing therapy, prolonged exposure, and EMDR have strong research support for PTSD, and many people combine approaches. The best fit is the one that feels safe and workable for you.
If any practice brings up distress, it's okay to stop. Healing doesn't require pushing through.
Healing from sexual trauma takes time, and you deserve support that respects your pace and your boundaries. Our practitioners offer trauma-informed somatic therapy in person in Boulder, CO, in Madison, WI, and online.
If you'd like to explore whether working together feels right, you can book a free 20-minute consultation. There's no pressure to share anything you're not ready to share.
About the author: Alex Greene is the founder of Red Beard Somatic Therapy. He is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), an Internal Family Systems practitioner, and a certified TRE provider, and has completed additional training in working with sexual trauma.
This article is for education only and is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.
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