Sexual trauma therapy in Denver
It might have happened last month or thirty years ago. You may have told people, or no one. You may call it assault, or abuse, or something you still don’t have a word for.
We help survivors of sexual trauma and abuse
What you’re carrying now is what brings most people to this page: the startle at a sound, the way certain touch makes you leave your body, the trouble sleeping, the relationship that keeps hitting the same wall, the sense that a part of you went somewhere and hasn’t come back.
Our trauma therapists work with survivors of sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner sexual violence, and sexual harassment and coercion. We have one of the largest trauma teams of any private practice in Colorado, including EMDRIA-certified EMDR therapists who take complex and high-acuity cases, with offices in Denver, Greenwood Village, and Lone Tree, and online across Colorado.
How sexual trauma shows up
Sexual trauma affects the nervous system, the body, and the way a person relates to other people. It rarely stays contained to memories of the event.
- Flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive images
- Hypervigilance, startle, and difficulty feeling safe in public or at home
- Numbness, dissociation, or feeling detached from your body
- Avoiding people, places, smells, or situations that bring it back
- Shame, self-blame, and the question “why didn’t I…”
- Difficulty with intimacy, sex, or trusting a partner
- Panic, chronic anxiety, or depression
- Chronic pain, pelvic pain, or gastrointestinal symptoms without a clear medical cause
- Substance use, disordered eating, or self-harm as ways of managing what’s unmanageable
These responses are the nervous system doing what it learned to do to survive. Therapy teaches it that the danger has passed.
Who we work with
Sexual trauma does not look one way, and neither does our caseload.
- Adult survivors of recent sexual assault, including clients navigating a medical or legal process at the same time
- Adults processing childhood sexual abuse, often for the first time decades later
- Survivors of sexual violence within a marriage or relationship, including clients also working through domestic violence
- Men who have been sexually abused or assaulted, who face a specific kind of silence
- LGBTQ+ survivors, with therapists who understand the added layers of disclosure and community
- Survivors of sexual trauma in religious settings, alongside religious trauma work
- Teens, with parent involvement handled carefully and the teen’s privacy protected
- Partners of survivors who want to understand how to support without pushing
You choose whether you work with a woman or a man. Many survivors have a strong preference, and we honor it without asking why.
How we treat sexual trauma
Trauma therapy that moves too fast re-traumatizes. Trauma therapy that never moves leaves people stuck in talking about it. Our therapists are trained in approaches built to do neither.
Stabilization first. Before any memory work, we build the skills that keep you present: grounding, containment, recognizing when you’re starting to dissociate and how to come back. For some clients this phase is a few sessions. For others, particularly with childhood abuse or dissociation, it’s the bulk of the early work, and it’s where a therapist’s experience matters most.
Processing, when you’re ready.
- EMDR has the strongest evidence base of any approach for sexual trauma and PTSD. It allows the brain to reprocess memories without requiring you to narrate every detail out loud.
- Brainspotting works similarly through focused eye position and is often gentler for clients who find EMDR too activating.
- Somatic therapy addresses what lives in the body: the bracing, the shutdown, the pain.
- Internal Family Systems helps with the parts of you that blame, protect, or went silent, and it’s especially effective for shame.
Rebuilding. Later work turns toward intimacy, trust, boundaries, and the relationships you want now. For couples, we offer sessions with a partner when both of you want that.
For clients whose symptoms haven’t responded to trauma therapy alone, we are one of the few Denver practices offering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy integrated with ongoing trauma treatment from the same team.
Why My Denver Therapy
- A real trauma team. Multiple EMDRIA-certified therapists and a larger group of EMDR-trained, Brainspotting-trained, and somatically trained clinicians. You’ll be matched by specialty and, if you prefer, by gender.
- High-acuity capacity. We take complex trauma and dissociation cases that solo practices refer out, and we consult as a team on them.
- Choice of setting. Three offices and online sessions anywhere in Colorado, with the same therapist across all of them. Some survivors prefer the privacy of home; others want the separation of an office. Both are available.
- Coordinated care. Our psychiatric nurse practitioner provides medication management when sleep, panic, or depression need support alongside therapy.
- Recognized expertise. Our clinicians have been featured on CBS Colorado, NBC, and in USA Today for trauma and psychedelic-assisted treatment.
- Availability. New clients are typically seen within a week. Waiting months to start trauma therapy makes it harder.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to talk about what happened in detail?
No. EMDR and Brainspotting are designed to process trauma without requiring a full verbal account. You share what you choose to share, at the pace you choose. Many clients process assault memories without ever describing them aloud.
It happened a long time ago. Is it too late for therapy to help?
No. Sexual trauma from childhood or decades past responds to treatment, and adults in their fifties, sixties, and seventies do this work with us. The nervous system doesn’t keep a calendar.
Can I choose a female or male therapist?
Yes. Tell us your preference when you contact us and we’ll match accordingly.
I was assaulted recently. Should I start therapy right away?
Yes, if you’re able. Early support reduces the chance that acute stress becomes long-term PTSD. If you’re also dealing with medical care or reporting, we’ll work alongside that and connect you with Denver advocacy resources such as The Blue Bench if you want them.
What if I dissociate or shut down in sessions?
Our therapists are trained to recognize it and bring you back. Stabilization skills come before memory work for exactly this reason, and with dissociation we move slowly and deliberately. You will never be pushed past what you can tolerate.
Can I do sexual trauma therapy online?
Yes. EMDR, Brainspotting, IFS, and somatic work all translate to video, and many survivors find it easier to begin from home. You can move to in-person sessions at any point with the same therapist.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For crisis support, call or text 988, or reach the Colorado Crisis & Support Line at 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. The Blue Bench 24-hour sexual assault hotline in Denver is 303-322-7273. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-4673. Please don’t use our contact form in a crisis.
Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you – all of the expectations, all of the beliefs – and becoming who you are.
Rachel Naomi Remen
Meet our therapists
As a therapist-owned practice, we care about helping you heal, grow, and thrive. We take a client-focused approach to counseling and approach each session with a commitment to your progress and growth.
Availability
We’re always accepting new clients at our conveniently located offices in Denver, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, and Arvada. All of our therapists can meet with clients online.
We specialize in you
You are welcome here. Because we have a large team with a wide range of specialties and trainings, we work with clients of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages.
We can match you with a male or female therapist who matches your goals, location, and schedule. If you have a preference for gender, age, religious background, or a person with a specific type of training or life experience, we can match you with a therapist you feel comfortable with.
Trained in effective therapy modalities
To support your mental health journey, our team is trained in some of the most effective forms of therapy available today, including EMDR, Brainspotting, CBT, DBT, and IFS.
Whether you’re looking for help with anxiety, depression, trauma, or want to better understand your relationship and attachment styles, we can help.
Insurance information
We’re out of network with insurance and Tricare and are unable to take Medicaid or Medicare.
Unlike many Denver therapy practices, we don’t charge separate intake or administration fees or charge more for your first session or specialized therapy methods like EMDR.
Get matched with a therapist
Contact us today, and one of our therapists will reach out to you directly, usually the same day.