.png)
Sexual Trauma Therapy for Men in Ottawa and Across Ontario and Quebec
Valley of Growth Psychotherapy
1900 City Park Drive, Suite 300, Ottawa, K1J1G7
Sexual Trauma Therapy for Men in Ottawa and Across Ontario and Quebec
Valley of Growth Psychotherapy
1900 City Park Drive, Suite 300, Ottawa, K1J1G7
When the past still affects the present
What happened to you may have happened years ago, but it can still affect how you feel, think, relate to others, and experience yourself today. You may have learned to keep it to yourself, push through, or avoid thinking about it altogether. But the impact can still show up in your relationships, emotions, sexuality, confidence, or connection with your body.
You don't have to minimize what happened or figure it all out on your own. I offer trauma-focused psychotherapy for men who are navigating the lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse, with a warm, confidential, and non-judgmental approach.
You might be experiencing...
Trauma & Emotional Well-Being
-
Anxiety, flashbacks and rumination
-
Emotional overwhelm
-
Feeling constantly on guard, easily triggered, or out of control
-
Emotional numbness, dissociation, or difficulty knowing what you feel
-
Shame, self-blame and self-disgust
-
Feeling weak or damaged
-
Difficulty trusting yourself or other people
-
Difficulty expressing emotions, being vulnerable, or asking for help
-
People-pleasing or difficulty setting boundaries
-
Feeling disconnected from yourself or your body
Sexuality & Intimacy
-
Feeling anxious, disconnected, or unsafe during intimacy
-
Frequently seeking sex, sexual validation, pornography, or masturbation ; or avoiding sex
-
Feeling driven to seek sex even when your partner doesn't want it
-
Using sex to cope with difficult emotions, numbness, or a need for control
-
Changes in sexual desire or a mismatch in desire with your partner
-
Difficulty with arousal, orgasm, or masturbation after trauma
-
Shame or confusion around your sexuality
-
Difficulty communicating sexual needs and boundaries
-
Feeling disconnected from your body or unable to feel fully present during sex
-
Difficulty trusting, connecting, or feeling emotionally close in relationships
You don't need to relate to all of these. Everyone responds to childhood sexual trauma differently, and you don't have to have a particular diagnosis or experience to seek support.
How we can work together
Therapy can help you better understand how your childhood experiences may be affecting you today and create space for new ways of responding.
Together, we may work on:
-
Processing experiences that continue to affect you
-
Understanding your emotions, reactions, and protective patterns
-
Reducing shame and self-blame
-
Building self-trust and self-compassion
-
Reconnecting with your body and sexuality
-
Developing healthier boundaries
-
Feeling safer and more present in relationships and intimacy
-
Understanding patterns around sex, avoidance, or seeking sexual validation
-
Feeling more in control of your emotions and choices
Valérie Boisvert, M.Ed., RP, integrates EMDR and IFS therapy, choosing approaches based on your needs, goals, and comfort level.
Starting therapy doesn't mean you have to tell me every detail of your childhood sexual abuse.
You are always in control of what you choose to share. We can start with what's happening in your life today and work at a pace that feels manageable for you.
You don't have to be completely ready to talk about your trauma in detail to begin therapy.
A space where you can be yourself
Talking about childhood sexual abuse can bring up shame, confusion, fear, or the feeling that you should have been able to "just move on". You may also have spent years keeping what happened to yourself.
My goal is to offer a space where you can talk openly without judgment, at your own pace. You don't have to prove that what happened was "bad enough", and you don't have to have the right words to begin.
Therapy can be a place to understand yourself more deeply, break patterns that no longer serve you, reconnect with your body and sexuality, and move toward feeling more like yourself again.
You don't have to talk about everything that happened
Ready to take the next step?
If you're wondering whether therapy could be helpful, we can start with a free 20-minute consultation. You can ask questions, share as much or as little as you're comfortable with, and get a sense of whether my approach feels right for you.
Psychotherapy is available in English and French, in person in Ottawa and virtually across Ontario and Quebec.