When the silence breaks: Therapist reflects on sexual assault awareness

Stacy Rakowitz MC, LPC

Submitted photo

When someone tells me they’ve been sexually assaulted, time seems to pause. What they’re offering isn’t just information — it’s courage, trust, and unfiltered vulnerability. In that moment, I don’t search for the right response. I don’t try to fix it or make sense of it. I simply hold space. I listen. I believe them.

As a licensed professional counselor, I’ve had the honor of sitting with survivors of all ages, each with a different story, but often carrying the same pain: shame, fear, isolation. Sexual assault happens far more often than most people realize. But numbers alone don’t capture the weight of it. What makes it real is the moment someone says, “I’ve never told anyone this before.”

Healing is not linear, but it’s possible

I wish I could tell you that healing is a straight path. It’s not. Survivors often wrestle with flashbacks, anxiety, depression, sleepless nights. They might question their worth, their safety, even their reality. And yet, I’ve also seen extraordinary resilience in therapy sessions where someone learns to breathe again, trust again, hope again.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month isn’t just about shedding light on the issue — it’s about standing with survivors. It’s about creating space for their voices and affirming what they may have struggled to believe: it wasn’t your fault. You are not alone.

How to support a survivor

Not everyone is a therapist, but everyone can be a safe place. If someone tells you they’ve been assaulted:

• Listen without judgement. Just listen and let them share.
• Believe them. Trust that what they’re telling you is real.
• Don’t interrogate or offer quick solutions. Let them hold the power, it’s their story, their healing.
• Say, “I’m here. I’m so sorry that happened to you.” That kind of presence is powerful.

My intention is to create a space where survivors feel truly seen, safe enough to speak and strong enough to reclaim their voice.

A safe place to begin again

Prevention isn’t only about stopping a moment of harm — it’s changing the culture that allows it. That means:

• Teaching others about boundaries, respect and consent
• Speaking up when we hear jokes or comments that minimize assault
• Believing and listening to survivors — not just during April, but always

At Denova Collaborative Health, many of the people who walk through our doors have experienced trauma, including sexual violence. Our therapists, myself included, are trained to create trauma-informed, judgment-free spaces. We work with compassion. We follow each person’s lead. And above all, we remind them: healing is possible — even if it doesn’t feel like it yet.

A message to survivors, and their loved ones

To every survivor reading this: You are not broken. You don’t have to carry this alone. Whether it’s through therapy, support groups or simply speaking your truth to someone you trust, healing is within reach.

To those who love survivors: Thank you for showing up. Your calm, steady presence can mean more than you know — it can truly change a life.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, know that help is available. The National Sexual Assault Hotline offers confidential support 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Locally, numerous organizations and health care providers are committed to providing the care and support needed for healing.

This month, let’s move beyond awareness into empathy, into action, into care. Let’s be the kind of community where survivors feel safe, seen and supported.

Editor’s note: Stacy Rakowitz, MC, LPC is a is a licensed professional counselor with Denova Collaborative Health. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.