One of the most challenging aspects of recovery from the effects of childhood sexual abuse is finding the right kind of help. The deep soul wounds left in the wake of sexual abuse need to be addressed carefully, and in my opinion, prayerfully. The healing power of Jesus Christ within my heart and mind proved to be the most effective healing of these deep wounds.
What Is Prayer Therapy?
When we think of seeing a therapist in his/her office, we would think about sitting in a comfy chair opposite the therapist and talking openly about whatever seems to be troubling us. Therapists are trained listeners who hear not only our words, but all of the emotions that come along with our words. Most therapists will then attempt to discuss the pros and cons of our life events and help us redirect our thinking patterns. Prayer Therapy is similar to this in some ways, but goes a further by asking God to come alongside us in this healing journey. Yes, we would sit in the room with another person who is qualified to hear our stories of sexual abuse. Usually this therapist will begin with a word of prayer, asking God to direct the therapy session and to bring out into the open anything that He desires for the abuse survivor to understand more fully. It is during this time of prayer that most survivors will begin to know something about their own past that might not have been consciously known before. The Spirit of God knows all things and He is well able to show us the truth of our past by revealing repressed memories at these times. It is truly an amazing event and the prayer session allows for the comfort of the Holy Spirit to come into the session and soothe the abuse survivor as only He can.
Prayer Therapy Opens our Heart and Mind to the Working of the Holy Spirit
Even after we leave our prayer session with our therapist, the Spirit of God remains hard at work in us to bring us into the healing that we need. However, there is no need to be troubled or alarmed at the thought of on-going probing of our memories. Trying on our own to remember all the events of abuse is not recommended. An attempt to do so can be exhausting and filled with anxieties. It is very important, at least in the beginning, to always have someone else present with us as buried memories are gently retrieved.
Why Must We Remember the Abuse?
Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse were victimized repeatedly and from such a young age, that most of those memories are buried very deeply inside us. Although we may not remember any or at least most of those abuses, those events still have a huge impact on our present day behaviors. We may find ourselves being repeatedly exposed to events in our present life that will have a triggering effect on us. It could be something as simple as a touch, a sound, or especially a smell. When triggers get set off in this manner, it is not usually when we are in the safety of our own home, but rather, out in a public place. It is especially difficult to try to explain to people what we are feeling or why, especially since we don’t even know why ourselves. Triggered memories are horrible and can often prevent us from fully living our lives for fear of having some secret part of ourselves exposed to others.
Prayer Therapy is just one type of help that is available for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, but it is one of the most effective types because it addresses the whole person. This type of healing includes not only mental and emotional healing, but also, the spiritual aspects of our healing and our relationship with God.
Sources:
Personal Experience
http://www.lifetoolsforwomen.com/p/theroadtorecovery.htm