Reclaiming Intimacy Therapy in San Diego
Rebuilding Connection, Intimacy, and Trust After Trauma
At Monima Wellness Center in San Diego, we understand that trauma can profoundly impact your ability to connect intimately with others. Our specialized approach to re-engaging intimacy helps women heal from sexual trauma, relationship violence, and other experiences that have disrupted their capacity for healthy intimate relationships. Through our comprehensive, trauma-informed approach, we create a safe space for women to rebuild trust, rediscover their authentic selves, and develop healthy, fulfilling connections.
Understanding Intimacy Challenges After Trauma
Intimacy encompasses far more than physical connection—it involves emotional vulnerability, trust, communication, and the ability to be authentically present with another person. For women who have experienced sexual assault, intimate partner violence, childhood abuse, or other traumas, the path back to healthy intimacy can feel overwhelming and frightening.
Common challenges that bring women to our intimacy therapy program include fear of vulnerability and emotional connection, difficulty trusting partners or potential partners, physical symptoms that interfere with intimacy (tension, pain, or dissociation), anxiety or panic responses to intimate situations, feeling disconnected from their own body and desires, guilt, shame, or negative beliefs about sexuality and relationships, hypervigilance or inability to relax during intimate moments, and avoidance of romantic relationships entirely.
These responses are normal reactions to trauma, not personal failings. At Monima Wellness, our skilled clinicians understand the complex ways trauma affects intimacy and provide compassionate, specialized care to help women reclaim this essential aspect of their lives.
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Contact us today at 858-500-1542 to begin crafting your path to recovery.
Our Trauma-Informed Approach to Intimacy Healing
Monima’s therapy for re-engaging intimacy is grounded in trauma-informed care principles that prioritize safety, choice, and empowerment. Our approach recognizes that healing happens at each woman’s own pace and that true intimacy recovery requires addressing both psychological and somatic (body-based) aspects of trauma.
Our comprehensive treatment integrates evidence-based therapeutic modalities with holistic healing approaches to address every aspect of intimacy recovery. This dual approach ensures that we’re not only addressing the psychological impacts of trauma but also the physical and spiritual dimensions of healing that are essential for rebuilding intimate connections.
Levels of Care
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at Monima is individualized for women and offers part-time, intentional, and comprehensive treatment for challenges related to mental health and trauma recovery.
IOP is designed specifically for women ready for level of support above traditional once-per-week therapy, or as a stepping stone between a full-time recovery program — such as PHP or residential treatment — and returning to their daily routines full-time.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
The Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) at Monima provides treatment for women seeking a comprehensive and full-time mental health treatment program that fosters lasting mental, physical, and spiritual wellness.
PHP is the highest level of care available at Monima, intentionally designed for women that are ready for a step above basic therapy, psychiatric support, or IOP. Most clients take a leave of absence from work, school, or their daily routines to fully immerse themselves in healing.
Outpatient
Program
(OP)
Monima Wellness offers an outpatient program (OP) to provide continued mental health support while integrating into their daily lives. This program is ideal for those transitioning from more intensive levels of care, such as PHP or intensive outpatient treatment. Sometimes referred to as aftercare, the OP emphasizes maintaining and building upon the progress achieved in previous phases, allowing clients to begin balancing their recovery with work, education, or family responsibilities.
Evidence-Based Therapeutic Modalities
We utilize proven therapeutic approaches that have demonstrated effectiveness in helping women heal from trauma and rebuild their capacity for intimate relationships. Each modality offers unique tools and perspectives that contribute to comprehensive healing, allowing our clinicians to tailor treatment to each woman’s specific needs and trauma history.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps process traumatic memories that interfere with intimate connection. By reducing the emotional charge of past experiences, EMDR allows women to develop new, healthier associations with intimacy and relationships.
Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy addresses how trauma is stored in the body, helping women reconnect with their physical selves in a safe, controlled way. This body-based approach is particularly beneficial for those who experience physical symptoms or dissociation during intimate moments.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT provides practical skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness—all crucial for building healthy intimate relationships. Women learn to manage triggers, communicate needs effectively, and navigate the emotional complexities of intimate connection.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps identify and challenge negative thought patterns about intimacy, sexuality, and relationships that developed in response to trauma. By developing more balanced perspectives, women can approach intimacy with greater confidence and reduced anxiety.
Attachment-based Therapy
Attachment-based therapy addresses how early experiences and trauma have shaped attachment patterns. This approach helps women understand their relationship patterns and develop more secure ways of connecting with others.
Holistic Healing Modalities
Our integrative approach recognizes that healing from trauma requires more than traditional talk therapy alone. These complementary modalities work alongside evidence-based treatments to support whole-person healing and help women reconnect with their bodies, emotions, and sense of safety.
Trauma-informed Yoga
Trauma-informed yoga helps women develop a positive relationship with their bodies through gentle, choice-based movement practices. These sessions focus on body awareness, breathing, and grounding techniques that support intimacy healing.
Breathwork
Breathwork provides tools for managing anxiety and creating states of calm and presence—essential foundations for intimate connection. Women learn breathing techniques they can use to regulate their nervous system during triggering moments.
Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine support emotional regulation and stress reduction while addressing physical symptoms that may interfere with intimacy, such as chronic pain or tension.
Sound Healing & Reiki
Sound healing and Reiki provide gentle, non-invasive ways to process emotions and restore a sense of inner peace and connection to the body.
Specialized Components of Our Intimacy Therapy Program
Beyond traditional therapy approaches, our intimacy healing approach includes specialized components that address the unique ways trauma affects women’s relationships with their bodies, sexuality, and intimate connections. These targeted interventions provide practical tools and education that support long-term healing and healthy relationship building.
Pelvic Floor Education and Awareness
Many women who have experienced trauma hold tension in their pelvic floor muscles, which can affect both physical comfort and emotional well-being during intimate moments. Our pelvic floor therapy education helps women understand the connection between trauma, the nervous system, and pelvic health.
Through educational groups led by Dr. Rose Hartzell, a physical therapist specializing in intimacy and sexology, women learn how trauma affects pelvic floor function, breathing and relaxation techniques for pelvic floor release, the connection between emotional states and physical tension, and practical exercises for developing body awareness and comfort.
Communication and Boundary Setting Skills
Healthy intimacy requires clear communication and strong personal boundaries. Many trauma survivors struggle with expressing their needs or maintaining appropriate limits in relationships, often due to past experiences where their boundaries were violated or ignored.
Our therapy program includes focused work on expressing needs and desires clearly and directly, setting and maintaining healthy boundaries in relationships, recognizing and communicating personal limits, developing assertiveness skills for intimate relationships, and building confidence in saying “no” and having those boundaries respected.
Trauma-Informed Relationship Education
Understanding what constitutes healthy relationships is crucial for women who have experienced trauma, particularly those whose traumatic experiences occurred within intimate relationships. We provide comprehensive education about healthy relationship dynamics and warning signs of unhealthy patterns.
This education helps women understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics, recognize signs of manipulation, coercion, or emotional abuse, develop skills for choosing supportive, respectful partners, and build confidence in their ability to maintain their recovery while in relationships.
The Safety of Our Women-Centered Environment
At Monima Wellness, our women-only treatment environment creates unique advantages for intimacy healing. This specialized setting acknowledges the particular ways women experience trauma and the specific safety considerations needed when addressing intimate concerns.
Our gender-specific approach provides reduced vulnerability concerns when discussing sensitive topics related to sexuality and trauma, shared understanding among peers who may have similar experiences, freedom from gender-based judgment or pressure to conform to societal expectations, and culturally responsive care that acknowledges the specific ways women experience and heal from intimate trauma. Our female clinicians bring specialized training in women’s trauma recovery and understand the complex intersections of gender, culture, and trauma that affect intimacy healing.
Who Can Benefit from Intimacy Therapy
Our treatment for re-engaging and healing intimacy is designed for women and female-identifying individuals whose ability to form healthy intimate connections has been impacted by traumatic experiences. We welcome women at all stages of their healing journey, whether they are currently in relationships, single, or exploring their readiness for future partnerships.
Our program serves women who have experienced sexual assault or rape, intimate partner violence or domestic abuse, childhood sexual abuse, medical trauma affecting sexual health, religious or cultural trauma related to sexuality, betrayal trauma from infidelity or emotional affairs, military sexual trauma (MST), or any experience that has disrupted their ability to trust or connect intimately. You don’t need to have a current partner to benefit from this therapy, as many women work on intimacy healing as part of their personal growth journey, building the foundation for future healthy relationships.
Getting Started with Intimacy Therapy at Monima
Beginning treatment for intimacy concerns takes courage, and we honor that by providing the highest quality, most compassionate care possible. Unlike many outpatient facilities that rely on basic assessments, every woman at Monima begins with comprehensive neuropsychological testing to fully understand your unique trauma history, current symptoms, and individual needs. This thorough evaluation ensures your treatment plan addresses all aspects of your healing journey, from the psychological impacts of trauma to your specific intimacy challenges.
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Ready to Reclaim Your Intimacy?
You deserve healthy relationships built on trust, respect, and authentic connection. At Monima Wellness, we provide the specialized, trauma-informed care needed to help you heal and rediscover the joy of intimate connection—on your own terms.
Our San Diego women’s treatment center offers a safe, supportive environment where you can work through intimacy challenges at your own pace, surrounded by expert clinicians who understand trauma recovery.
FAQs
We understand that discussing intimacy can feel overwhelming, especially for trauma survivors. Our therapists are skilled at creating safety and moving at your pace, never pushing you to share more than you’re comfortable with. We focus first on building trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship before exploring more sensitive topics.
The most effective treatment for depression is a combination of some of the approaches below depending on the unique needs, history, and diagnoses of the individual. Common treatments include, but are not limited to:
- Psychotherapy (i.e. cognitive-behavioral therapy/CBT)
- Medication: Antidepressant medications
- Combination therapy (i.e. combining therapy and medication)
- Lifestyle changes (i.e. regular exercise, healthy diet)
- Support groups
- Self-care strategies (i.e. hobbies, relaxation techniques)
- Alternative therapies (i.e. acupuncture, yoga)
What works well for one person may not work as effectively for another. It’s essential to tailor the treatment approach to the specific needs, preferences, and circumstances of the individual.
That’s completely valid, and you don’t have to have that goal to benefit from intimacy therapy. Many women find that healing their relationship with intimacy and trust improves all areas of their lives, including friendships, family relationships, and their relationship with themselves.
Our clinicians are specially trained in trauma-informed care and understand that all responses to trauma are valid. It is extremely important to us to create a judgment-free environment where you can explore your experiences and feelings without shame or criticism, recognizing that healing happens differently for every person.
Intimacy therapy isn’t about pushing you toward physical intimacy before you’re ready. Instead, we focus on helping you understand your own needs, boundaries, and desires, working on all dimensions of intimate connection at your own pace and comfort level.
