How It's Complicated works
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Find your therapistUse our free matching service for personal recommendations, or browse our network of 2,500+ therapists yourself.
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Create your free accountSign up in under 2 minutes. All you need is an email and a password, and you're ready to go.
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Start therapyReach out to your therapist and book your first session within 24 hours. Online or in person, in 60+ languages.
Learn more about sexual abuse
Therapy for sexual abuse supports adults recovering from the psychological impact of sexual abuse, assault, or violence, whether it happened recently or many years ago. Sexual abuse is any sexual act or contact that takes place without consent, and its effects can last long after the events themselves. The harm is real regardless of when it happened, whether there was physical injury, or whether you have told anyone before. Therapy offers a safe, paced way to process what happened and its ongoing effects, with a trained professional who understands trauma. Recovery is possible, and you do not have to have all the words for what happened before you begin.
There is no threshold of severity you need to meet before seeking support, and no time limit after which it is "too late". Sexual abuse can affect people in many ways, sometimes immediately and sometimes surfacing years later. You might find therapy helpful if you experience:
- Flashbacks, intrusive memories, or nightmares connected to what happened
- Feeling constantly on edge, watchful, or unable to relax
- Shame, guilt, or self-blame, even though the abuse was not your fault
- Difficulty with trust, intimacy, or feeling safe in relationships
- Numbness, dissociation, or feeling disconnected from yourself or your body
- Anxiety, low mood, or panic that does not ease over time
- Turning to alcohol or other coping strategies that no longer feel manageable
Recovery from sexual abuse works best with an approach designed for trauma, at a pace you control. Several are well suited to this.
- Trauma-informed care is an approach that shapes all good trauma therapy: prioritising safety, choice, and control, so you are never pushed faster than you want to go.
- EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they lose some of their intensity, and is well evidenced for trauma and post-traumatic stress.
- Somatic experiencing works with how trauma is held in the body, which can help when the effects show up physically or as dissociation.
- CFT: Compassion-Focused Therapy addresses the shame and self-blame that so often follow abuse, building a kinder and safer relationship with yourself.
- IFS: Internal Family Systems helps you understand and work with the different parts of yourself that carry the impact of what happened, without being overwhelmed by them.
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions worldwide. It's Complicated is free to use, and you pay your chosen therapist directly at rates they set.
Choosing a therapist after abuse can feel especially hard, because being asked to trust a stranger with something this personal is a lot. Our matching service is built to make that easier and safer. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify therapists experienced in trauma and abuse, and you choose from a shortlist, at no point are you obliged to continue with anyone who doesn't feel right. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
Get matched with a therapist who specialises in trauma and sexual abuse, or browse the directory to choose yourself.
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