Recovery Assessment & Resource Finder

A gentle guide to help you reflect on your healing journey and connect with the right support, on your own terms.

Gentle Content Note

This assessment touches on experiences of sexual trauma, healing stages, and current coping mechanisms. It is designed to be supportive, not diagnostic, but answering these questions might bring up heavy feelings.

Please take this at your own pace. You can skip any question or close the page at any time. Your answers stay entirely private in your browser.

Need immediate support?

If you are in crisis, feeling unsafe, or need to talk to someone right now, please reach out:

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: Call 800-656-HOPE or chat online

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (US/Canada)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or text 988 (US)

Self-Reflection

Answer these questions based on how you feel right now. There are no right or wrong answers, only what is true for you today.

1. How would you describe where you are in your healing journey right now?

Healing isn't linear. It's okay if this changes day to day.

2. What does your personal support system look like?

3. Where are you at with professional support?

4. Which areas of your life are currently feeling the most impacted? (Select all that apply)

You can skip this question if it feels too heavy right now.

5. How are you currently coping when things get hard?

Note: All coping mechanisms exist for a reason—they are your brain's attempt to keep you safe. There is no judgment here.

6. What feels like your most urgent goal or need right now?

Your Support Plan

Understanding the Healing Journey

Hey friend. If you're reading this, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the immense courage it takes to look at your trauma and say, "I want to heal." Healing from sexual trauma is one of the hardest things a human being can do. It's not a straight line, and there is no "right" way to do it.

Here are a few gentle truths I want you to hold onto as you navigate this process:

1. Your coping mechanisms kept you alive.

Whether you've relied on dissociation, avoidance, numbing, or hyper-independence—please don't judge yourself. Your brain and body did exactly what they needed to do to survive an unbearable situation. The goal of healing isn't to punish yourself for how you coped, but to slowly build enough safety that you don't need those emergency brakes quite as often.

2. Healing is physical, not just mental.

Trauma isn't just a memory stored in your brain; it's an experience held in your nervous system. That's why talk therapy alone isn't always enough. Modalities like Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, trauma-informed yoga, and bodywork are often crucial for helping your physical body realize that the danger has passed.

3. You get to set the pace.

There is no timeline for this. You don't owe anyone details about your experience, and you don't have to push yourself into triggering situations "for the sake of healing." Boundaries are a trauma survivor's best friend. You get to say no. You get to stop a therapy session if it's too much. You are the absolute authority on your own healing.

4. Reclaiming intimacy is possible.

If you're struggling with sexual intimacy, body image, or trust, please know that you are not broken. Your body's hesitance is a sign that it is trying to protect you. Reclaiming your sexuality often starts outside the bedroom—learning to feel safe taking a deep breath, safe sitting in your own skin, safe saying "no." The pleasure and connection can come back, slowly, when safety is established first.

Disclaimer: I am an educator, not a therapist. This tool is designed for educational and self-reflection purposes. If you are struggling, please reach out to a licensed trauma professional.