Foreplay Radio – Couples and Sex Therapy 511: Healing Sexual Trauma
Sep 26, 2025
Dive into the sensitive topic of sexual trauma and its lingering effects on intimacy. Discover how empathy from partners can reshape traumatic memories. Learn about the five crucial steps for healing within a relationship. Hear about real-life stories that highlight the challenges faced by survivors. Gain insights on how to maintain sexual connection while navigating trauma recovery. With compassionate guidance, listeners are encouraged to rediscover joy and pleasure in their relationships.
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Trauma Lingers In The Bedroom
- Trauma doesn't stay in the past; it follows people into their sexual lives and can shut down sex until healed.
- Healing sexual trauma is possible and can restore sexual freedom and pleasure with proper support.
Rewriting Trauma With New Experience
- Adding new, corrective experiences to old memories can rewire how the brain stores them (memory reconsolidation).
- The key target of change is pairing the trauma memory with empathy and caregiving from a partner.
Bring Empathy Into Trauma Talk
- If a survivor retells a trauma, the partner should provide empathy, presence, and co-regulation rather than leaving them alone.
- Do this in a guided, orderly way so the memory includes the partner's compassion and reduces isolation.
