Élan vital is translated in English as “vital impetus”, and also “vital force”. It is a hypothetical explanation for evolution and development of organisms, linked closely with consciousness.

Male Survivor Counseling

When I first started working with trauma and, specifically, sexual abuse survivors I realized the resources available to women survivors were much more even though women are 1 and 4 and men are 1 in 6. I decided to create a safe place for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and assault could address their unique issues. Below is some information that may be useful to help understand what you may be experiencing. If these resonate with you, please feel free to reach out to me to see if this is something we can work on together.

“Research suggest that one in six boys are sexually abused by age 16, and 1 in 21 males (over 18 years) are sexually assaulted.”

If you were a victim of sexual violence, you may be experiencing some of the following symptoms:

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Low self-esteem

  • Shame

  • Guilt

  • Loneliness

  • Social isolation

  • Difficulty finding a relationship

  • Finding yourself in one brief relationship after another

  • Problems in relationships: with your partner or spouse, your children, your parents, your boss or coworkers, or others with whom you have intimate contact

  • Irrational fear that you will harm a child

  • Drug or alcohol addiction

  • Compulsive behavior: overeating, overspending, compulsive gambling, constant viewing of pornography, seeking after anonymous sexual partners, uncontrollable masturbation, incessant trips to massage parlors or prostitutes

  • Workoholism

  • Worries about being gay even though your fantasies are primarily about women

  • Inability to feel good about being gay even though your fantasies are primarily about men

  • Feeling you're not a man

  • Finding yourself a victim again and again

  • Flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, or other signs of reliving a trauma

  • Emotional numbness or constriction

  • Hyperarousal: being vigilant, irritable, and jumpy much of the time

  • Outbursts of rage

  • Physical symptoms your doctor can't explain on physical grounds: rapid heart beat, anorexia or bulimia, shortness of breath, dizziness, or constipation

  • Sexual problems: lack of interest, inability to achieve or maintain an erection, premature ejaculation, inability to have satisfactory sex with someone you care about, disturbing masochistic or sadistic thoughts or behaviors, or relentless and intrusive sexual fantasies

  • Fear of being around other men, especially in groups, locker rooms, or public rest rooms

  • Obsessive thoughts about sexual acts or partners you usually wouldn't be interested in

  • Trouble with sleep: insomnia or sleeping all the time

  • Self-destructive behavior

  • Urges to hurt someone physically, or incidents when you do so

  • Amnesia for certain periods of your life

  • Losing time

- Betrayed as Boys: Psychodynamic Treatment of Sexually Abused Men, Richard B. Gartner, Ph.D.

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