Counselling for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

You Don't Have to Carry This Alone

If you experienced sexual abuse as a child, the effects can follow you into adulthood in ways that are often confusing, painful, and hard to put into words — even decades later. You may have found ways to cope, to function, to keep going. Reaching out for support doesn't mean those coping strategies failed you; it means you're ready for something more.

Whatever brings you to this page — whether you've never spoken about your experience before, you're returning to therapy after previous attempts, or something recent has brought old memories to the surface — you are welcome here, and you will be believed

How Childhood Abuse Can Show Up in Adulthood

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse can experience a wide range of effects, and everyone's experience is different. Some common ways this may show up include:

• Difficulty trusting others, or difficulty in close relationships

• Anxiety, hypervigilance, or feeling unsafe even in safe situations

• Low self-worth, shame, or a persistent sense that something is "wrong" with you

• Flashbacks, intrusive memories, or being triggered by seemingly ordinary situations

• Difficulty with intimacy, boundaries, or your sense of your own body

• Dissociation, emotional numbness, or feeling disconnected from yourself

• Depression, self-criticism, or patterns of self-punishment

• Difficulty identifying or expressing emotions

• A sense of guilt or responsibility that isn't yours to carry

You may recognise some of these, all of them, or none of them and still know that something from your past continues to affect you. There is no "right" way to be affected by abuse, and there is no timeline for when it's acceptable to seek help.

A helping hand

How Counselling Can Help

Working through the impact of childhood abuse takes time, safety, and a pace that's led by you — never rushed, and never forced. Counselling offers a confidential, non-judgemental space to process and integrate your experiences at whatever pace feels right.

Together, counselling can support you to:

Feel safe enough to speak. Many survivors have never told anyone, or have only told part of their story. Counselling offers a space where you decide what, when, and how much to share.

Process what happened, in your own time. This isn't about reliving every detail. It's about making sense of your experience and its impact, in a way that feels manageable and safe.

Understand your responses, not judge them. Many of the ways survivors cope — dissociation, avoidance, hypervigilance, people-pleasing — made sense as survival responses. We explore how you coped with compassion, not shame.

Separate what happened from who you are. Abuse can leave survivors carrying guilt, shame, or a distorted sense of self that was never theirs to carry. Counselling helps to gently untangle this.

Rebuild trust and safety. In yourself, in your body, and in relationships with others — this is often central to the work, and it happens gradually.

Address related difficulties. Anxiety, depression, relationship patterns, or difficulties with intimacy often connect back to earlier experiences, and counselling can address both the roots and the present-day impact.

My Approach

I am a trauma trained therapist, using evidence based integrative approaches, which means safety and pacing come first, always. I tailor therapy to your individual needs, ensuring your sessions progress at a pace that feels safe, manageable and supportive of your healing. You are always in control of what we discuss and when — there is no pressure to share details before you're ready, and some clients never need to share explicit details at all for therapy to be effective. My role is to walk alongside you, not to direct you toward disclosures you're not ready for.

What to Expect

Starting therapy can feel like a significant step, and it's normal to feel apprehensive. Here's what the process generally looks like:

1. An initial consultation — a low-pressure conversation to help you decide if counselling, and working with me specifically, feels right for you. You don't need to share your story in detail at this stage.

2. Establishing safety and trust — early sessions focus on building a therapeutic relationship where you feel safe, in control, and not judged.

3. Working at your pace — we go where you lead. Some clients want to explore memories directly; others focus on present-day symptoms and coping first. Both are valid.

4. Building coping and grounding tools — particularly important if flashbacks, dissociation, or anxiety are part of your experience.

5. Ongoing check-ins — we regularly review how the therapy feels for you and adjust as needed.

   
   

Counselling in Dublin

Based in Dublin 7, I offer in-person counselling for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Learning to carry it differently and finding the right therapist matters — I'm happy to talk through any questions you have before you commit to starting. Fill out your details below to get in touch with me.

Reaching out is often the hardest part. When you're ready, I'm here to listen

Disclaimer: This content is for general information purposes and does not constitute medical or clinical advice. If you are in crisis, please contact your GP, the Samaritans (116 123, free, 24/7), or emergency services. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre operates a National 24-Hour Helpline at 1800 77 8888 and offers specialist support for survivors of sexual abuse and violence.