Trauma Counselling

Leandie Buys is a registered trauma counsellor and has worked extensively with victims of sexual trauma throughout her career.

She has experience in counselling victims of:

• Rape
• Molestation and abuse
• Physical and psychological abuse within a relationship

How does sexual trauma in childhood affect adult relationships?

Childhood molestation and physical abuse has a significant impact on a victim’s relationships later in life. Although the issue may be dealt with through counselling at a young age, people often experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when they enter into intimate adult relationships.

In an intimate relationship between a couple where one partner experienced childhood molestation, this partner may feel such shame and guilt about their past that they find it impossible to tell their partner about the molestation.

When the partner keeps the molestation a secret, the other partner will not be able to understand their behaviour, and may feel deep rejection when their lover has no interest in sexual intimacy. This is most common when the molested child was victimised by someone very close to them that they trusted. 

Trauma counselling also addresses:

• Loss (of a spouse or loved one)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder