Raychelle Cassada Lohmann - The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls: A Guide to Recovery from Sexual Assault and Abuse

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2016 by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann and Sheela Raja

Instant Help Books

An Imprint of New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

Cover design by Amy Shoup

Acquired by Tesilya Hanauer

Edited by Gretel Hakanson

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file

Child sexual abuse is one of the most damaging and life-altering experiences a person can suffer. This workbook offers the guidance and support survivors desperately need by providing powerful exercises to help them deal with the associated emotions of shame, fear, sadness, and anger, as well as offering advice and strategies to help them cope with such issues as nightmares and flashbacks. I highly recommend it.

Beverly Engel, LMFT, author of It Wasnt Your Fault and The Right to Innocence

The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls is an amazing book of hope, inspiration, and education from start to finish. With the sharing of different personal experiences and encouragement, this book will help any young teen at any point of their journey to recovery. As a fellow survivor of rape and sexual assault, I wish this workbook had been available for me during my time of need. Although its been over twenty years since my rape and sexual assault, this workbook helped me today address and conquer emotions that I thought no longer existed.

Tanisha Bagley, survivor of over ten years of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence; advocate for all victims and survivors of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence; and author of The Price of Love

This practical and enlightening book is a blessing for teen girls and the adults who support them following sexual trauma. It is filled with research-based wisdom, everyday tools, guidance, and most of all, hope!

Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, developmental psychologist and author of Tomorrows Change Makers

In The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls, the authors have done a beautiful job of providing a wise, inspiring, uplifting, and comprehensive guide for healing, which can be used alone or as an adjunct to therapy. I love this book. It is comforting and practical, and I will recommend it often.

Catherine McCall, MS, LMFT, author of the international best seller Never Tell, is on the judges panel of the United Kingdom Child Sexual Abuse Peoples Tribunal, RAINN Speakers Bureau, and a blogger for Psychology Today

This book is dedicated to the many strong women who shared parts of their story to help those, who like themselves, are survivors of sexual trauma. This book is also dedicated to Regan, whose inspiring story helped make this book become a reality.

To my wonderful husband, son, and daughter, your gracious support and love encourages me to follow my dreams and fulfill my passion to help others.

~Raychelle Cassada Lohmann

This book is dedicated to the countless women and girls who have trusted me enough to allow me to be a part of their journey toward healing. Your kindness, intellect, and strength are an endless source of inspiration and hope.

Thank you to my husband, daughters, and sister for their unwavering support, and love. Words cannot express my gratitude for my husband, who shares a commitment to making the world safer and more peaceful for our daughters. His wisdom means everything to me. I am deeply indebted to my parents, Vasantha and Raja, who model compassion, support, empathy, and forgiveness every single day. And thank you to every woman who has been a role model in my life, including my aunts Saroja and Reena and my second-grade teacher Cynthia Miller Webb, who understood the importance of seeing the potential in every child.

~Sheela Raja

Raychelle Cassada Lohmann and Sheela Raja

Dear Reader,

First let us begin by saying thank you. Thank you for being brave enough to open this book and begin the first step to recovery. Thank you for trusting us to teach you skills you can use in your everyday life to cope with your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Most of all thank you for allowing us to be a part of your healing journey.

Just by working through this book, you are showing bravery and courage to face your anger, fears, insecurities, and shame, and we promise we wont take that for granted. We will guide you down this difficult yet rewarding path as you learn to stand strong and move from being a sexual trauma victim to a survivor, a survivor who can grow from your traumatic experience(s). You dont have to let your past define who you are, but rather let it shape you into the courageous young woman you are destined to become.

As you walk through the contents of this workbook, you will be asked to explore some tough experiences that you may shy away from. You will be asked to face emotions that you may otherwise run from. There may be times when you think, I cant do this, but you can. It is our sincere goal to compassionately guide you every step of the way. You are not alone. We will sequentially teach you skills to apply to your everyday life, making you feel more confident and secure to take the next step. When you see that you have the strength to move forward, you will feel more empowered to do it again and again.

We do ask that if you ever feel as though life is unbearable or hopeless or if you have thoughts of hurting and harming yourself, then you should get help immediately. Also, if there are things you are doing that are interfering with healing, such as drinking, taking drugs, or exposing yourself to risky or dangerous situations, then you should seek help immediately. Do not wait to get help. People care about you and want to help you through this difficult time. If you are unsure if you need more help, the book contains many exercises and questions to help you make that decision. This workbook should be used as a healing guide; it is not our intent for it to replace counseling. Rather it would be beneficial to use this workbook in conjunction with therapy.

This journey is your journey, and no ones story is like yours. Along with friends, family, and professional support, we hope this book will provide you with the tools you need to recover and live the life you truly want.

Empowering you with confidence and success,

Raychelle Cassada Lohmann and Sheela Raja

In this book we use the terms sexual trauma and sexual abuse to describe many types of experiences. These may be single incidents, or they may have continued over time. Sexual trauma may involve rape or inappropriate sexual touching, or you may have felt pressured to perform certain sexual acts out of fear. Not all sexual violation involves the use of physical force, but the survivor often feels ashamed, fearful, angry, and helpless both during and after the incident.