Honoring Healing: April as a Month for Mental Health and Sexual Assault Awareness

April: A Month to Be Seen, Heard, and Held

April is more than blooming flowers and warmer days—it’s also a time to slow down, speak up, and hold space. This month brings attention to two powerful truths that often walk hand-in-hand: Mental Health Awareness and Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).

For many of us—whether we’ve lived through trauma, love someone who has, or are simply learning how to hold space—this time can stir up a lot. So let’s take a breath together and talk about it.

---

The Connection Between Trauma and Mental Health

When someone experiences sexual violence, the pain doesn’t stop after the moment ends. It lingers. It shows up in unexpected ways—anxiety that feels like it comes out of nowhere, a deep tiredness that doesn’t go away with sleep, or feeling detached from your own body or emotions.

You’re not “crazy” or “too sensitive.” You’re responding to something that was never meant to be carried alone.

That’s why these two awareness movements matter so much together—because healing from trauma isn’t just physical, it’s emotional, spiritual, and communal.

---

Speaking Up Isn’t Easy—But You’re Not Alone

Some people find strength in sharing their stories. Others are still finding their voice—or not ready to speak at all. Both are valid. You don’t have to post about it, write a blog, or even say it out loud. Speaking up can also look like writing in a journal, texting a trusted friend, or just whispering the truth to yourself.

If you’re someone listening—just listen. No fixing, no advice unless asked. Just presence.

---

Ways to Care for Your Healing (or Support Someone Else’s)

Here are a few simple ways to move toward healing or hold space for someone else this month:

• Start small: Recovery doesn’t need to be a full plan. It can start with a walk, a meal, a playlist that calms you, or a breath that helps you land in your body.
• Find your people: Whether it’s a support group, a therapist who gets it, or a friend who doesn’t judge, healing needs safety.
• Practice boundaries: You don’t have to say yes to everything. Protecting your peace is an act of self-respect.
• Move your body gently: Trauma lives in the body. Yoga, dance, or even stretching can begin to create space for release.
• Write it out: Journaling or voice notes can help you process without needing to make sense of it all right away.
• Offer presence: If you’re supporting a survivor, remember that just showing up consistently, with kindness, means a lot.

---

This Month, Wear Your Story (or Support It)

• Teal for SAAM. Green for Mental Health. Even if you’re not ready to talk, wearing these colors can be a quiet way to say, “I see you.”
• Share a post or resource—not to perform, but to help someone else know they’re not alone.
• Make your space safer—in your home, your job, your friendships—through empathy and honesty.

---

It Doesn’t End in April

While April shines a light, the real work—the quiet, beautiful, messy healing—happens every day. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to know you’re not broken, and you’re not alone.

At She Heals Journey, we believe healing happens in community, not isolation. Whether you’re surviving, supporting, or still sorting through it all—you belong here.

Let this be a month of reflection, not pressure. A season of softness. And a reminder that you deserve to feel whole again.

She Heals team xoxo