Love After Trauma: Counseling Couples When One Has Survived Sexual Abuse

Course overview

When working with a couple with one of the spouses as a sexual abuse survivor, psychologists, licensed mental health professionals, medical personnel, and ministry leader need specific, key approaches for supporting couples who are navigating the effects of past abuse on the marriage. While clients and patients are not defined by their past experiences, overcoming its impact can be a challenging journey for the couple in multiple aspects of the marriage. The session highlights the participant's role in guiding couples toward relational patterns that may have previously felt impossible, demonstrating how marriage can function as a restorative and healing space. Participants will explore compassionate, evidence-informed strategies to help couples transform their relationships, restore intimacy, and cultivate a renewed view of love. This workshop emphasizes the critical role of faith in the healing process for willing Chrisitan clients with specific strategies to help the non-harmed partner as a mirror of Christ, offering care, love, and relational repair for the harmed partner. Attendees will leave with practical tools and frameworks to actively engage past harms, foster reconciliation, and empower couples to build strong, Christ-centered marriages for willing Christian clients.