Listen when she needs to talk about her emotions or the assault itself. If she experiences troublesome physical or emotional symptoms but fails to connect these to the assault, help her make the connection. Do not deny the reality of her feelings by suggesting she forgive or pray for her assailant. Finally, if she feels guilt over the assault, as many survivors do, help her direct her anger toward the rapist, not herself. You may find sexual assault situations hard to deal with emotionally.
Women sometimes become very anxious.
Women counselors may try to distance themselves from the assault by making comments which can sound very judgmental. Men are conditioned by society to feel protective, and may feel outrage. Sometimes such anger is too intense for the survivor, who may even misinterpret it as hostility toward herself. It s understandable that it may take some time before you feel comfortable being alone in the house. Men should also understand that many survivors prefer to talk to a woman.