Behind the Closed Door: Power, Campus Sexual Assault, and the Healing Path Forward

The recent details emerging from the Cornell case have sent painful shockwaves through campus communities, leaving many survivors feeling deeply triggered. As a therapist providing trauma treatment in Fairfield, CT, I see firsthand the devastating impact of the campus "Red Zone" and the heavy burden of hyper-vigilance placed on our daughters. But if we want real change, we have to stop just teaching young women how to survive a culture of violence—we must shift the work to men to dismantle toxic masculinity. To every student, survivor, and resident seeking treatment for college students after a sexual assault: your voice matters, your healing matters, and you do not have to carry this weight alone.