Financial Barriers to Healing After Sexual Assault and How to Find Help

When we talk about healing from sexual trauma, we usually focus on emotional recovery. We talk about therapy, support systems, self-care, and how survivors can feel safe again. 

All of these things are incredibly important for survivors and should continue to be discussed fully and loudly! However, there is another discussion that is often overlooked. One that many survivors face but may not feel comfortable talking about. This is the fact that healing… can be expensive! 

The lifetime cost of rape is estimated at approximately $122,000 per survivor, including medical care, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs.

Financial barriers to healing show up in many ways. After experiencing sexual harm, survivors often search out resources like therapy, counseling, medical care, medication, legal support, transportation, time away from work, or other services that help them along their healing journey. Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access to these resources. 

Financial stress can create a significant obstacle for many survivors that makes healing a more difficult, slower, or seemingly out of reach process. It’s important to recognize that struggling to access support is not a personal failure or something that you should be embarrassed by. Healing is already a challenging enough journey, even without the additional burden of worrying about money. 

Understanding these barriers can help survivors recognize that many of the difficulties they face are systemic rather than personal, and that there are resources that can help ease the financial weight of healing. 

What Does Healing Look Like After Sexual Assault? 

The journey of healing from sexual harm does not look the same for everyone. There is no singular checklist, timeline, or “correct” way to recover after a traumatic experience like this. Every survivor responds and reacts to it differently, has different needs, experiences, strengths, and challenges that they face. 

For some survivors, healing may involve professional mental health services. Therapists, counselors, psychologists, and other trauma-informed mental health professionals can help survivors process the traumatic event, develop coping skills, manage symptoms of anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and rebuild a sense of safety and control.

Support groups can also be incredibly valuable, as being surrounded by people who understand your experiences can help reduce the feelings of isolation and remind survivors that they are not alone. These groups can take place online or in-person, and can help provide the validation, understanding, and sense of community that can support and uplift many in their journey. 

Online platforms like Our Wave offer free, anonymous support through educational resources, survivor stories, coping tools, and spaces to connect with others. Digital resources can be especially helpful for survivors who live in areas with limited transportation or few local services.

Healing may also involve medical care, such as treatment for injuries, chronic pain, reproductive health concerns, sleep issues or insomnia, gastrointestinal symptoms, or other physical effects related to the trauma. Some individuals may benefit from medications that address symptoms like depression, anxiety, insomnia, or PTSD. For others, healing is more individually focused and includes activities like journaling, creative arts, exercise, mindfulness practices, spending time with supportive people, spiritual practices, advocacy, and reconnecting with oneself. 

No matter what your personal healing journey looks like, every survivor deserves access to the resources that support their recovery. 

What Are the Financial Barriers to Healing? 

Although all of these healing resources exist, accessing them is sometimes far more complicated than simply deciding to seek help. One of the largest financial barriers survivors face is the cost of therapy and counseling services. 

Cost of Therapy and Counseling

Trauma-informed therapy can be incredibly effective for survivors, but it is not always the most affordable option. Even individuals with health insurance may face high deductibles, co-pays, limited provider networks, or restrictions on the number of sessions that can be covered. Survivors may spend weeks or months looking for a therapist who is both qualified and within budget. 

The challenge then becomes even more difficult for survivors in rural communities or areas where trauma specialists may be even more scarce. In these situations, a survivor may have to travel a long distance or find virtual services. Some may even have to pay out-of-pocket. 

Medical Expenses

Sexual harm can also bring medical costs. This may include emergency room visits, follow-up appointments, testing, medications, physical treatment, reproductive healthcare, or long-term management of chronic health concerns. Insurance of victim compensation programs may cover some of these services, but survivors can still face significant expenses. For survivors dealing with ongoing physical symptoms related to trauma, healthcare costs can continue long after the traumatic experience occurred. 

Lost Income and Time Away from Work

Trauma can also affect a survivor’s ability to work, attend school, or keep up with the same responsibilities they managed before. Some survivors may need to take time away from work to process what happened, attend mental health appointments, handle legal proceedings, or recover physically. Others may struggle with concentration, sleep, anxiety, or depression in ways that affect their job performance and everyday tasks. Missing work often means losing income. For many survivors, that creates a painful choice between earning a paycheck and prioritizing recovery. 

Housing and Safety Costs

Housing and safety can add to this financial stress. Some survivors experience sexual harm from their intimate relationships, family, or living situations. Leaving an unsafe environment may require finding new housing, transportation, childcare, or legal assistance. Sexual violence can also increase the risk of homlessness and unemployment, and these costs hit hardest when survivors depend financially on the person causing harm. Economic dependence is one of the most significant factors that can make it difficult for survivors to leave unsafe situations or access support services.

Financial Stress and Mental Health

Even when survivors are able to access services, the financial pressure itself can become an additional source of stress. Chronic financial stress can take a toll on mental health. Worrying about bills, debt, basic necessities, or treatment can increase anxiety and make it harder to focus on recovery. This creates a frustrating reality in which survivors often need support in order to heal, but financial hardship can make that support harder to obtain. 

How Can Survivors of Sexual Harm Find Free or Low-Cost Support? 

These financial barriers are real, but there are ways to lower the cost of healing from sexual harm. Some support is completely free, and other options adjust to what you can afford.

Free Hotlines and Crisis Lines

Hotlines and crisis services provide free, immediate support. They are confidential and available 24/7. 

• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) 

• RAINN Online Chat: hotline.rainn.org

• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 

• National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988

• SAMHSA National Helpline (treatment referrals for mental health and substance abuse): 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Slide-Scale and Low-Cost Therapy

Many communities have nonprofit organizations, university counseling centers, and community mental health agencies that offer free or reduced-cost services. Some therapists also provide sliding-scale fees based on income, which can make treatment more affordable.

Victim Compensation Programs

Every U.S. state, along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, runs a crime victim compensation program. These programs can help pay for counseling, medical care, lost wages, and other costs of recovery. Each state sets its own rules and benefit limits. Most programs ask survivors to report the crime to law enforcement and apply within a set time frame, but many make exceptions for survivors of sexual assault. Compensation also covers only the costs that insurance or other benefits don’t. A local advocate can help you check eligibility and work through the application, or you can find your state’s program directly.

Advocacy Centers

Local advocacy organizations like rape crisis centers often provide services to survivors of sexual assault at no cost. Advocates can also help survivors identify resources that they may not have known existed or were accessible to them. These services include:

• Crisis counseling

• Support groups

• Legal advocacy

• Medical advocacy

• Resource referrals 

• Assistance navigating compensation programs 

Online Support

While many people may prefer in-person help, online support platforms can provide accessible education, community, and coping resources without the financial burden of the traditional, in-person services. While these online resources are not a replacement for the emergency care or professional treatment that many survivors need, they can still be a valuable place to start to explore what kind of support feels right. On Our Wave, you can read survivor stories and share your own story anonymously. 

Finding Support When Money Is Tight

Sometimes financial barriers can make healing feel impossible. If therapy, medical care, or other services are currently inaccessible to you, remember that healing does not have to happen all at once or on any specific timeline. Reading survivor resources, joining a free support group, practicing self-care, using crisis hotlines when needed, journaling, or learning grounding techniques are all meaningful ways to move forward on your healing journey. 

Also, never forget that healing does not have to happen on your own. Lean on community support by reaching out to your trusted friends, family members, support groups, faith communities, mentors, and survivor networks to find compassion, support, and guidance. While these support systems may not replace professional treatment, they can help reduce the feelings of isolation and provide emotional connection during this extremely difficult time. 

Sexual trauma is difficult enough on its own, so survivors should not have to carry the added burden of wondering whether healing is something that they can afford. Unfortunately, this is still a reality for many. 

Every survivor deserves access to safety, support, medical care, mental health resources, and opportunities to rebuild their life after sexual harm. Healing may require some community support, advocacy, and patience, but it does remain achievable. 

Most importantly, remember that needing help does not make you weak. Struggling to access resources is not your fault, and it is absolutely not embarrassing in any way. Healing is not reserved just for those with unlimited money and access, but for every single survivor. You deserve support, healing, and a future that is defined entirely by you, and not what happened to you. 

Financial Barriers to Healing: FAQs

Is there free therapy for sexual assault survivors?

Yes. Many rape crisis centers offer free counseling and support groups to survivors of sexual assault. University counseling centers and community mental health agencies may also offer free or low-cost care. Some therapists use sliding-scale fees based on income. You can also apply to your state’s crime victim compensation program, which may help pay for counseling.

Do victim compensation programs pay for counseling?

In most cases, yes. Every U.S. state has a crime victim compensation program, and these programs generally cover counseling, medical care, and lost wages. Each state sets its own limits, and many set a lower cap for counseling than for other costs. Programs pay only after insurance and other benefits, so a local advocate or your state’s program can help you understand what’s covered.

What is sliding-scale therapy?

Sliding-scale therapy is a pricing model where the cost of each session depends on your income. Therapists who offer it lower their fees for clients with fewer financial resources. It’s worth asking about sliding-scale fees when you first contact a therapist. Many online therapist directories also let you search for providers who offer reduced rates.