The Lila Rose Show E167: Healing The Wounds Of Sexual Abuse w/Therapist Michael Gasparro
Nov 29, 2024
Michael Gasparro, a licensed marriage and family therapist who blends psychological and spiritual care for sexual trauma. He discusses the scope and lifelong impact of abuse. He explains defining boundaries, first steps toward healing, therapy methods like EMDR, relearning sexuality after trauma, and how spiritual care and community support fit into recovery.
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Make Yourself The Safe First Confidant
- Build deep, affirming relationships so children trust you as the first place to go if violated.
- Michael Gasparro warns parental reaction matters hugely; ignoring disclosure can be more damaging than the external abuse.
Start By Naming The Wound And Reaching Out
- Acknowledge the need for healing and reach out to someone trusted immediately.
- Gasparro likens honest self-recognition to the leper admitting leprosy before seeking Jesus and recommends priests, friends, spouses, or therapists as first steps.
Talking Reframes Traumatic Narratives
- Verbalizing trauma externalizes it and enables cognitive reframing that reduces self-blame.
- Gasparro notes that sharing your narrative lets others reflect it back, shifting "I'm bad" to "something bad happened to me."