Jane's mind raced back to her own traumatic experience, years ago on a college campus not too far from Lawrence, Kansas. She had been at a party, drinking too much, and a guy she thought was a friend had taken advantage of her. She had never reported it, too ashamed and scared to come forward. Seeing this case play out in the public eye, with the athlete ultimately being acquitted, brought back all those painful memories.

In her distress, Jane stumbled upon the Hofman Hollis website and their "Stepping Into Action" program for survivors of sexual assault and trauma. Something about the approach resonated with her. She signed up for the online course, determined to finally face her demons and find a path to healing.

"I can't change what happened to me," Jane said to her best friend, Sarah*, over coffee one day. "But I can change how I let it define me going forward." Sarah nodded, squeezing Jane's hand in support.

As Jane worked through the program, she found herself gaining new tools and perspectives. "Trauma shapes us, but it doesn't have to control us," one of the experts in the course had said. Another had emphasized the importance of self-compassion and letting go of shame.

However, not everyone agreed with the approaches advocated in the program. Some critics argued that such programs could never truly undo the damage of trauma, and that survivors would always carry that burden. Others felt that online courses were an inadequate replacement for in-person therapy and support groups.

Despite the conflicting opinions, Jane found solace and strength in the Stepping Into Action program. "It's been a long, hard journey," she wrote in her journal one night. "But I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm grateful I took that first step and found the courage to heal."

For Jane, the decision to seek help online had been a lifeline when local resources were scarce. Though the path to recovery was never easy, she knew she had made the right choice in taking control of her healing and refusing to let her trauma define her forever.

Nearby: Leawood Kansas, Prairie Village Kansas, Stilwell Kansas, Redel Kansas, Kenneth Kansas

* Names and situations are fictional and not intended to resemble anyone in particular. They are illustrative of how the services can apply to the lives of every day people living ordinary lives.