Were you a victim of child abuse?

All childhood abuse involves an adult or a person of authority who violates a child’s trust. Abuse can be classified as physical, emotional or sexual or any combination of the three types of abuse.

If you were abused as a child, chances are you learned to protect yourself using various coping mechanisms. The ways you adopted to cope may continue into adulthood even though you no longer need the mechanisms for protection.

Examples of How Children Cope with Abuse

Some examples of coping styles include:
  • Denial
  • Withdrawal
  • Acting out
  • Self-blame

Behavioral Effects of Child Abuse

In an attempt to erase and dull the memories and the pain of childhood abuse, you may have had or still have any number of prevalent behavioral effects such as:

  • Nightmares and sleeping problems
  • Sexual acting out
  • Difficulty touching or being touched
  • Alcohol and drug abuse
  • Eating disorders

Child Abuse is Often Hidden

If you were like many survivors, you may have never told anyone about the abuse you suffered. You may have been threatened, shamed and or were too young to understand what was happening to you. Or, if you tried to talk to an adult about the abuse, you may have been ignored or minimized, or even punished for your disclosure.

Is Former Child Abuse Affecting Your Life Today?

It is common for adults who suffered child abuse to retain feelings of guilt, shame, fear, anxiety and depression. You may have difficulty trusting, with intimacy and building lasting friendships. To avoid being hurt again, you may be controlling with others and have other behavior that interferes with building and maintaining healthy relationships.

Get Help from a Licensed Therapist

Sadly, childhood abuse can affect every area of your life. Getting professional help is an important step to taking control of your life.

When you turn to Community Psychological Services, you will find a safe, supportive, non-threatening environment and the help you need to gain a better understanding what happened to you as a child. Your therapist will help you to explore the coping mechanisms you are using that might be a result of your childhood abuse, but are no longer adaptive and productive for you today.

You and your therapist can work together to develop new skills that will assist you in meeting your needs. Therapy can help you lessen the emotional and behavioral effects caused by your abusive childhood and allow you to move forward and to engage in healthy relationships, begin to raise your self-esteem and live a more complete and satisfying life.

Arrange a
Counseling Session Today

At Affordable Therapy we provide telehealth services, and all sessions are done on zoom, offering the privacy of your home or office. All sessions are confidential.
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Call us at (818) 907-7974 / en español a (747) 249-8325

 

Our Therapy

Services

Our therapists offer caring and confidential services for:

Couples Counseling

Conflict and misunderstanding with a spouse or life partner can be challenging, but it can also be an impetus for growth and deepen your relationship. We work with individuals and couples, including same-sex couples, to strengthen your connection.

Communication

Communication can often be the most challenging issue in any relationship. Differing ideas about finances, child-rearing or health concerns can often create a wall between you and a loved one. We can help you develop tools to facilitate constructive dialogue and help eliminate blaming and name-calling.

Work Stress

You can spend up to half of your waking life at work. When it’s a persistent source of stress or anxiety, it can affect the rest of your life as well. We will help you effectively deal with any work-related issue, from relentless pressure to an unexpected termination.

Depression

Are you struggling to get through every day? Are you having trouble finding pleasure and a sense of well-being? Do you often feel like the things you do simply don’t make a difference? You could be suffering from depression. We can help you develop tools to combat feelings of helplessness and recognize the events that trigger negative feelings.

Loneliness

We all need to be alone at times, but loneliness can be crushing, leading to anxiety, listlessness and low self-esteem. We can help you pinpoint the underlying causes of your loneliness and help you develop tools to make yourself more available to others.

Gay / LGBTQ

Discriminated against or bullied because of your sexual orientation? Finding it difficult to be your authentic self with loved ones? We offer a supportive and non-judgmental approach, helping you deal with the social and personal challenges when you identify as LGBTQ.

Anxiety/Panic Attacks

We all feel anxiety or panic at some point in our lives. It shouldn’t cause us to withdraw from those we love or limit our connection with others. At Affordable Therapy, we have the tools to help you anticipate and respond to panic attacks, so that they don’t control your life. We know how scary panic attacks and anxiety can be. We have the techniques to help you reduce these symptoms.

Grief

Grief is often an ordinary and difficult part of life, but it’s different for everyone. When you’ve lost a loved one, you can struggle with knowing when and how to move forward. We can help you find healthy and constructive ways to feel and express your loss.

Addiction

Getting addictive behavior under control is hard work, but keeping it in check can often be more difficult. Whether its substance abuse, food, shopping, sex or gambling, we can help you identify problem behaviors and put practices in place to stay clean.

Adult Survivors of Child Abuse

When you’ve been the victim of child abuse, trust can be elusive, making relationships difficult and challenging. The effects of abuse can touch almost every area of your life. We offer a safe and non-threatening environment to help you develop ways to cope and move forward.

Crisis Intervention

Crisis can often seem a regular part of modern life. Whether it’s a natural disaster, a physical assault or relationship changes, unexpected events can paralyze you. We offer tools to help you effectively respond to fear, anger, grief and other potentially harmful emotions.

Stepparenting

Being a stepparent can often feel like a “no-win” situation. Your spouse hopes for a closer bond and your stepchildren can often be resistant. We can help you find ways to develop good relationships with your stepchildren, based on love, trust, support and understanding.

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Free Initial

Telephone Consultation

Fill out our online form or call us at:

(818) 907-7974 / en Español at (747) 249-8325

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