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“From polyamory to asexuality, a genuine sense of sexuality and emotional health should belong to everyone. Survivors, however, often face higher obstacles and rockier terrain when it comes to reclaiming sex and/or romance after harm. While every situation is unique, we talked to experts and gathered answers to common questions survivors have while healing these parts of their identity. What are the first steps a survivor should take when they feel ready to recover their sexuality? “It definitely depends on where they’re at in their healing journey, but I think a great first step is always developing awareness around their relationship with sex and sexuality,” says LeChae Mottley, a trauma therapist at Resilience. “It’s also good to take some time to reflect on messaging you’ve received around sex and sexuality throughout your life.” She also encourages survivors to explore masturbation when they feel comfortable doing so. Solo sex can be a means of therapeutic self-discovery. “For many clients, I like to think of solo sex and partnered sex separately. Solo sex can be a great way to explore likes, dislikes, and triggers. One activity that may be helpful is developing a scale to document triggers, body sensations and emotions that come with sex,” she continues. “By ranking different activities, survivors can allow themselves to explore the safer end of the spectrum and move up from there.” What kind of sexual challenges do survivors face? To put things simply, it’s complicated. “It really depends on the survivor. Sexual challenges are generally on a spectrum. On one end, folks may find themselves increasing sexual activity and on the other end some may have a deep aversion to sex,” Mottley says. “And of course, most will likely be somewhere in between.” Specific challenges can include inability to get aroused, lack of interest in sex, inability to experience pleasure or sexual experiences that are higher risk. All challenges are valid and depend on different factors.” https://www.caase.org/sex-after-sexual-assault/. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/support