Ros Falconer
Counselling and Psychotherapy 

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Areas of Expertise

Sexual Abuse

Short-term effects of rape are pain, shock, dirtiness, fear, disbelief, denial, gilt, shame, helplessness, powerlessness, distorted self-image and confusion.

The longer-term effects are more complex. As with child abuse, victims suffer from:

• Loss of Trust
• Fear of Safety
• Poor Self-Esteem
• Negative Self-Image
• Scarring
• Emotional Deadness
• Feeling Responsible for the Abuse
• Feeling isolation
• Guilt
• Bereavement
• Difficulty with Close Relationships

Psychotherapy helps us come to terms with what has happened, allowing us to grieve for the person we were, and to reidentify ourselves, accepting what has happened, but moving forward with our lives. We learn to understand the conflict within ourselves and to find new ways of dealing with them.

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