Women’s Experiences of Nature as a Pathway to Recovery From Sexual Assault

Abstract

Given the serious challenges faced by female survivors of sexual assault, an understanding of how they heal after such an experience is vital. Yet little is known about how being in nature may be helpful in this regard. The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop an in-depth understanding of how nature helps women heal from sexual assault. A narrative analysis of semi-structured interview data provided by four female sexual assault survivors generated four main themes. These themes point to how nature served as a source of emotion regulation and spiritual connection, as well as how it facilitated greater acceptance and reduced dissociation. Themes also indicated reduced negative thinking and rumination, and increased attention to the here and now. Findings are contextualized within the existing literature on sexual assault, and implications for counselling and psychotherapeutic practice with survivors are provided.