If you have suffered emotional trauma from being sexually assaulted or sexually abused and feel you need therapy, it is important that you chose a mental health professional who has extensive experience in helping survivors of sexual abuse and trauma. These therapists range from psychiatrists and psychologists to licensed professional counselors and social workers.
Childhood sexual abuse is an injury to your identity. Your identity determines how you relate to the world. It can lead to a variety of mental disorders, from anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder. It often leads to the unspoken question, “Is this what I’m good for?” It can rob you of your normal course of development, to which you have an absolute right. It can shorten your sense of future. It can decimate your trust in the world around you. You may feel that your own personal foundation might crumble at any time. You may look very normal on the outside, however, inside you are a splintered mess. Think of an old Grecian urn in a museum — it looks beautiful at first, but as you get closer, it is riddled with hundreds of tiny cracks.
Psychotherapy can lead to an understanding of your damage, guide you in your healing, and lead you in a journey from victim to survivor. Using the legal system to hold others accountable can be extremely empowering. I have seen the result of the combination of psychotherapy and the legal system over a thirty-five-year span during which I have done this work. I have seen the transformation.
I prepare every sexual assault and sexual abuse lawsuit as if it were going to trial. I know that sounds intimidating and scary. Survivors differ in their feelings about going into a public forum and speaking about such personal and embarrassing events. Some are very nervous, some can’t wait. However, by the time trial rolls around, many survivors who were once timid and fearful become assertive and brave, looking forward to taking back their dignity by telling their story to a jury.
At trial I will call your treating therapist to the witness stand, who will describe your symptoms and the therapeutic sessions. I will also have you evaluated by a forensic mental health professional who will testify to your diagnosis and give an expert opinion as to your emotional damage and how the sexual assault or sexual abuse caused the damage and how it has affected your life.
The vast majority of these cases settle before trial. As I mentioned above, I treat each case as if it were going to trial. The defendants soon become aware of this by virtue of the work I put into your case, as well as other cases I have litigated, prompting the defendants to make a settlement offer to avoid trial.
I will fight for full compensation for your loss. I will guide you through the process, believe you, be available to you, and do whatever I can to help you reclaim your power through the legal system.
Even in the depths of despair there is hope. The combination of skilled mental health therapy and experienced legal representation can be a life-changer. After thirty-four years of helping shattered survivors, I can state without reservation that you will never regret using the judicial system along with trauma informed therapy to embrace your courage, pick up the pieces, and reclaim all that was stolen from you.
“There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
Leonard Cohen, “Anthem”
Free, Confidential Consultation
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse and want to understand your legal options, Attorney Tom McNamara has spent over 35 years representing survivors across Connecticut. He won the only clergy abuse case tried to a jury verdict in the state — a $1.66 million recovery against the Hartford Archdiocese, upheld by the Connecticut Supreme Court.
Call (203) 782-9241 for a free, confidential consultation. There is no obligation and no fee unless we recover compensation for you.