April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

At Friesen Counseling, we encourage you to Embrace Your Voice — the theme for 2025’s month of advocacy. This powerful theme can stir many thoughts and emotions.

What does embracing your voice mean to you? 

Here are a few ways it might take shape:

Advocacy

Becoming an advocate against sexual assault can happen at many levels — personal, local, or legislative. Advocacy might look like creating artwork or music, listening to a podcast on sexual assault awareness, volunteering at a local agency that fights sexual violence, or participating in community hearings and voting to pass laws that advance the goal of ending sexual violence.

Awareness

Sharing social media posts that address the facts and myths about sexual violence is a simple but impactful way to create awareness. By using your platform, you help foster important discussions and empower others to speak out against sexual assault. Participating in campaigns and movements bring needed awareness and keeps crucial conversations going long after this month ends.

Healing

If you or a loved one has experienced sexual violence, therapy can be an important part of the healing journey. This month may feel especially difficult for survivors who may not be ready to outwardly embrace their voice. Therapy offers a safe, supportive environment to begin — or continue — healing with a trusted counselor.

Whatever path you feel called to take, your voice matters. Healing, awareness, and advocacy are all powerful forms of reclaiming your story.

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.

 When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.

 The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”

 — Fred Rogers