From Hurt to Healing with Take Back the Night Foundation

Receiving support through counseling and journaling

In the months and years post-sexual assault, journaling became a way for me to make sense of my traumatic experience. The counselor at the local rape crisis center offered me writing and drawing prompts and encouraged me to journal. I felt an immense amount of hurt and was able to use journaling to write freely and begin a long healing process as I tried to make sense of my experience. Healing is never linear. I would write about hurt, healing, and hope interchangeably as time went on. After a particularly difficult trigger, I began writing about hurt once again and as time went on, wrote about healing once again. Over the years, my journey took place on the pages of many journals as I began to heal. These journals led me to publish a book and performance piece on my healing as well as a journal companion with writing prompts and positive affirmations. Journaling is one of many tools to begin or renew further healing. I hope that you continue to move forward in your healing journey and incorporate a variety of methods to help you begin to thrive as you find what works for you.