Therapy for Child Sexual Abuse: Women Talk About Helpful and Unhelpful Therapy Experiences

• Published in: Journal of child sexual abuse Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 35 - 59
• Main Authors: McGregor, Kim, Thomas, David R., Read, John
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Group 2006; Routledge; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; Child Abuse, Sexual - therapy; Child Sexual Abuse; Childhood sexual abuse; Client Relations; Cognitive Therapy - methods; Counseling; Counselor Client Relationship; Counselor education; Counselor Training; Female; Females; Humans; Interviews; Middle Aged; Narration; New Zealand; Professional-Patient Relations; Psychotherapy, Group - methods; Quality of care; Questionnaires; Self Concept; Sexual Abuse; Social Adjustment; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - therapy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survivors - psychology; Therapist-Client interaction; Therapy; Treatment; Trust; Women; Women's Health; New Zealand
• ISSN: 1053-8712; 1547-0679
• DOI: 10.1300/J070v15n04_03

Women with histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) were asked to describe what was helpful and unhelpful to them in therapy. From 191 completed postal questionnaires, a subsample of 20 participants was interviewed. This paper focuses on three specific areas of therapy raised by interviewees: (1) Establishing a therapeutic relationship; (2) talking about experiences and effects of CSA; and (3) dealing with errors in therapy. Findings suggest that to avoid making serious therapy errors, therapists (1) need special skills to be aware of the dynamics and effects of CSA and of abuse-focused therapy and to deal with abuse-related material, and (2) need to develop an equal and open therapy relationship that includes ongoing consultation with clients about their experiences of therapy.