Dear Survivor:
Jun 30, 2025
We admire you. Regardless of highly publicized trials, seeking accountability from wrongdoers is crucial. A jury’s decision does not diminish the validity of your experience. It takes strength to defy tradition to hold power accountable. Your truth changes culture. Your truth challenges systems.
Legal proceedings are complex. Litigation is an imperfect process that operates within strict rules of evidence and procedure. A lawsuit does not determine the truth of what happened to you. Your experience is real and your pain is valid.
Prioritize Your Mental Health
Get back to trusting yourself. Believe your intuition again. Find mental health professionals by speaking with your primary care physician or health insurance carrier. Connect with trauma-informed therapists who specialize in sexual abuse recovery. Research evidence-based trauma therapies. Explore support groups, both in-person and online. Do not fear your emotions. All emotions are necessary. Speak with a therapist on the best ways to express and process each and every emotion.
Daily Routines
Try out and establish daily routines that make you feel safe. For example, try a morning tea, evening walks, or breathing slowly with your eyes closed. Set boundaries for media consumption. Put down your technology and device. Protect your mental space. Find ways to reconnect you with your body in positive ways – yoga, dance, swimming, or exercise.
Talking About the sexual violence
If you have partially or never told anyone that you survived sexual violence, it is important to understand that civil proceedings operate under different standards than criminal cases. We can help you understand your options.
the future
Deciding legal next steps is a personal decision. Some survivors advocate for policy changes that protect others. Others are strengthened by no longer holding a secret they had no interest in creating. Focus on your personal goals and new dreams that the abuse interrupted.
Justice takes many forms. The path forward may not be linear but that does not mean you are not making progress. Your worth is not determined by what was done to you or legal outcomes.
With deep respect and solidarity,
