Together We Heal is for any who suffer from the trauma of Childhood Sexual Abuse. We are here to provide a safe forum for survivors of abuse to share, learn and heal, give direction to those seeking guidance and to expose sexual predators for what they are and their methods of getting into our lives.
My wife Linda and I had the privilege of talking with Rachel Grant, author and Beyond Surviving extraordinaire! In this episode Rachel explains the “3 Stages of Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse”. This is a can’t miss show! Please set aside some time to listen, learn and gain insight on how to truly begin to heal!
Thank you Rachel for all you do to help survivors and for being a tireless advocate and friend!
And please go to Rachel’s site – http://rachelgrantcoaching.com – for helpful information on how she can help you move further along in the healing process!
In 2006 David took the first step in acknowledging the sexual abuse that was perpetrated against him from the ages of 12 to 15. During those 3 years, the foundation his family had worked so hard to build within him was destroyed by one man, his youth minister. The result was his heart, mind and faith were lost. After having kept this secret for more than 25 years, he was finally able to reveal to his family and friends the reason behind the addiction and self-destruction that at times had him incarcerated, eventually left him destitute and nearly ended his life.
Fortunately he was blessed with amazing friends and a loving family who helped him get the help and therapy he so desperately needed. He was finally able to get clean from the grip of addiction and face the demon of sexual abuse that had clouded his life for so long. Now he and his wife work to aid their fellow survivors through the non-profit they created, Together We Heal.
The mission of Together We Heal is to provide guidance for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, educating parents and all adults through public speaking on matters concerning Childhood Sexual Abuse and giving a safe forum for victims of abuse to share, learn and heal.
"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” - Dr. Seuss
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8 thoughts on “3 Stages of Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse”
Rachel, there’s some helpful stuff here and thank you to the site for publishing this. However, at 24 mins you talk about abuse not being a life sentence. Please know that for many people it is. It is important not to generalise, as every person’s experiences and situation are different. It is important to acknowledge that abuse can be deeply damaging and life changing for many. Statements such as “abuse is not a life sentence”, “it can be overcome” etc. are not only inaccurate, but they fail to do justice to the experiences of those many survivors who battle with the after-effects for life. You could cause further trauma to people with such statements.
Hi Elena. Thank you for sharing your perspective and opinion. While I respect it, I do see it differently. I believe that we don’t have to spend our lives dealing with the abuse, but that we can instead get complete about the past and live powerfully having the best skills and tools for navigating the bumps in the road. I realize everyone’s journey is different and that some journeys are longer than others. I do hope to change the philosophy about how we heal from sexual abuse and I believe this long standing perspective is a part of that. Kinda like convincing the world was round back in the day when everyone had been told for years and years that it was flat. It’s a paradigm shift and I grant you a challenging one. Know that I come from the place of offering people freedom and new hope as opposed to judgment or dismissing the impact.
I just listened to your program and found it very interesting and informational. I wish I had listened to it live because it left me with some questions. You have definitely given me a lot of food for thought. Kudos!
Another support group that I would recommend for victims of childhood sexual abuse is Celebrate Recovery. Here’s the link to their website: http://www.celebraterecovery.com/
I genuinely appreciate the recommendation and the work you’re doing but due to so many of our members being sexually abused by clergy of many faiths, we are not in a position to publicly endorse celebrate recovery.com – please know it’s not because we are anti-religion, to the contrary, I myself am a believer, but we as an organization must do all we can to best serve the needs of the survivors who come to us for help. Part of this is only guiding them to Christian-based counseling when they ask us. We will keep celebrate recovery in our list of faith-based groups for those who request.
The anonymous musings of one mom holding the hand of Christ while facing chronic illness and trying to help guide her family to healing from sexual abuse.
August 23, 2014 at 12:35 pm
Thank you David and Linda — had a great time!
August 24, 2014 at 11:39 am
Rachel, there’s some helpful stuff here and thank you to the site for publishing this. However, at 24 mins you talk about abuse not being a life sentence. Please know that for many people it is. It is important not to generalise, as every person’s experiences and situation are different. It is important to acknowledge that abuse can be deeply damaging and life changing for many. Statements such as “abuse is not a life sentence”, “it can be overcome” etc. are not only inaccurate, but they fail to do justice to the experiences of those many survivors who battle with the after-effects for life. You could cause further trauma to people with such statements.
August 24, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Hi Elena. Thank you for sharing your perspective and opinion. While I respect it, I do see it differently. I believe that we don’t have to spend our lives dealing with the abuse, but that we can instead get complete about the past and live powerfully having the best skills and tools for navigating the bumps in the road. I realize everyone’s journey is different and that some journeys are longer than others. I do hope to change the philosophy about how we heal from sexual abuse and I believe this long standing perspective is a part of that. Kinda like convincing the world was round back in the day when everyone had been told for years and years that it was flat. It’s a paradigm shift and I grant you a challenging one. Know that I come from the place of offering people freedom and new hope as opposed to judgment or dismissing the impact.
August 26, 2014 at 9:16 pm
I just listened to your program and found it very interesting and informational. I wish I had listened to it live because it left me with some questions. You have definitely given me a lot of food for thought. Kudos!
August 26, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Hi Toni, please feel free to email or call with any questions you have – dpittman@together-we-heal.org – 754-234-7975
August 26, 2014 at 10:01 pm
Same here Toni! coach@rachelgrantcoaching.com or 415-513-0700!
August 27, 2014 at 9:43 pm
Another support group that I would recommend for victims of childhood sexual abuse is Celebrate Recovery. Here’s the link to their website: http://www.celebraterecovery.com/
September 21, 2014 at 2:39 pm
I genuinely appreciate the recommendation and the work you’re doing but due to so many of our members being sexually abused by clergy of many faiths, we are not in a position to publicly endorse celebrate recovery.com – please know it’s not because we are anti-religion, to the contrary, I myself am a believer, but we as an organization must do all we can to best serve the needs of the survivors who come to us for help. Part of this is only guiding them to Christian-based counseling when they ask us. We will keep celebrate recovery in our list of faith-based groups for those who request.