NCJ Number
207459
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: 2004 Pages: 105-120
Date Published
2004
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Using a case study for illustration, this article describes the use of a psycho-spiritual framework for treating adult survivors of childhood incest.
Abstract
The integrative treatment process described in this article emphasizes safety, self-awareness, and self-development. In the first phase of treatment, called safety and alliance building, the therapist uses client-centered and cognitive restructuring techniques to begin the discussion of personal safety. In the second phase, called self-awareness and resolution, the focus of therapeutic conversations is on the existing strengths of the client, which are used to develop a positive self-image and communication skills that serve the client as she/he challenges distorted assumptions and mental processes that have stemmed from the childhood trauma of incest. In the third phase of treatment, called self-development and reconnection, the client is guided in the integration of positive views of self by focusing on daily healing processes and reconnection with a supportive environment. The "lost-self" concept is used to explore disturbances in body image, self-perception, self-worth, and reality association. The case study presented in this article involves a 29-year-old woman who was molested at age 10 by her stepfather. As an adult she struggled with ingrained religious beliefs and distorted body perception that obstructed the development of a positive self-concept. Part of her therapy in developing a positive sense of herself was to use cognitive restructuring in examining various religious and social messages promoted by her church. Her healing involved a sense of forgiveness in the spiritual dimension and an ongoing experience of spiritual support for the emergence of her new self-awareness. 2 tables and 70 references