‘Sexual Assault is Not the End of My Story’

Sexual assault is one of the most terrifying experiences anyone can endure. For those who have experienced sexual assault, it is a life-altering experience, a burden that doesn’t just disappear after the assailant is gone or in jail; it leaves an indelible mark on the survivor in a profoundly personal way.

“We know, increasingly, how common and devastating sexual violence is for women, but we don’t always talk about how survivors can recover from the trauma.”

To heal from such trauma means to face the pain, anger, sadness and depravity on a day-to-day basis while simultaneously seeking to remember and rediscover joy.

I had the pleasure to speak with Julie Peters, rape survivor and author of WANT: 8 Steps to Recovering Desire, Passion, and Pleasure After Sexual Assault about her experience of recovery and the ways in which she not only reclaimed desire, sexuality, trust, and pleasure but also herself.

BJB: “We have to know in our bones that it matters whether we say “yes” or “no” on various levels of our lives, not just in the bedroom.” Please explain what you mean by “colonized”.

JP: Sexual violence often intersects with racial and colonial realities. Sexual violence has been used historically in many situations in order to control and take over populations — the ol’ rape and pillage trick.

I’m Canadian, and the white settlers here stole the land of the indigenous people and then forced them into residential…