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What will happen if I go to a counselor to deal with the fact that I was sexually abused as a child?

Asked by WonderingWanderer (30points) February 6th, 2016

I’ve been doing a lot of introspection lately. I recently realized that the reason I can’t remember a lot of my childhood (anything from before I was about 10 or 11, besides 9/11 and one time I wet my pants when I was 6) is that I was basically blocking it all out. It was safer and easier and simpler to just not remember anything than to remember pieces and keep justifying, minimizing, and ignoring the fact that my brother violated my body many times over several years. He is 8½ years older than I. We grew up in a good home, but it was a home with no sex ed and our school was very lacking in that area. He was going through puberty when I was between the ages of 5 and 7, I suppose. He didn’t know what he was doing any more than I did.
I never really liked it, but he said it was OK because we were brother and sister, and I guess I kind of liked being close with someone. I’ve described my parents as “emotionally constipated” for years, and I guess that explains why I didn’t push away more. Plus, he was my big brother. I didn’t think he would do anything really wrong to me. He loved me. He does love me.
But anyway, I’m 19 now and at college. I’m a counseling major and I spend a lot of time figuring myself out. I know I should FEEL something about this. But I just… Don’t. I’m not sad, I’m not hurt, I’m not angry. I don’t even feel like he did that to MY body… It’s that little girl in my memories, not me. I’m sad in my head, to realize that my big brother would do that, but I spent a long time explaining it away and minimizing it before just finally blocking it all out that I’ve completely split it off from emotions.
I know I need help to deal with this.

My school has a counselor that I can go to. I just… I need to know what will happen if I do go to someone besides my two best friends, whom I’ve told in the last few days. So, my questions are:
Is the counselor required by law to report what I tell her to anyone? If so, who will it be reported to? I’m not going to school in my home state. Also, if so, will my name or my brother’s name be included? I know this sort of thing is a big deal and I don’t want to put anyone else in danger… But I also don’t want to ruin my brother’s life or take him away from his kids or anything like that.
What questions should I ask before telling the counselor the details?
I guess that’s it.
Thanks in advance.

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