Techniques and Issues in Abuse-Focused Therapy with Children & Adolescents: Addressing the Internal Trauma

by Stacy Wieland

Overview

How can therapists deal effectively with children or adolescents who have been sexually abused but refuse to discuss their experiences? Working with children and adolescents who have been sexually abused presents innumerable challenges for the therapist. Not least among them is the reluctance of some children or adolescents to discuss the abuse. In Techniques and Issues in Abuse-Focused Therapy, author Sandra Wieland describes The Internalization Model, which provides a framework to assist the therapist in understanding the effects of sexual abuse on the child or adolescent's internal sense of self and world even when a child or adolescent will not talk about their sexual abuse. Methods of addressing and shifting these abuse-related internalizations within the therapy are described along with techniques such as imaging, genograms, and time-lines. Sexuality, a topic that has been overlooked in the extant research literature on sexually abused children and adolescents, is also explored. This book provides practitioners with ideas for responding to a child or adolescent who becomes sexual within a session and for helping the victim reconnect to his or her own healthy sexuality. Dissociation, ranging from occasional ôoff-in-a-dazeö to dissociated identities, is explored along with extensive therapeutic intervention options. Resistance by the child, by the parent, and by the therapist is also identified and discussed. The techniques and issues in this book are described clearly and succinctly. Case examples are used throughout the book to help therapists incorporate concepts in their own practice. In a final chapter, adolescents discuss their own experiences with therapy.Although Techniques and Issues in Abuse-Focused Therapy centers on children and adolescents, it remains relevant for therapists working with adults who experienced abuse children. This book provides new ideas for advanced practitioners as well as beginning therapists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761904816
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	09/22/1998
Series:	Interpersonal Violence Series , #21
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 6.20(h) x 0.80(d)

Table of Contents

PART ONE: THE CHILD'S TRAUMA
Understanding the Child's Trauma
The Internalization Model
PART TWO: TECHNIQUES
Addressing the Child's Internalizations
Therapy
Working Within
Imaging
Placing the Abuse in Context
Genograms, Time-Lines, Messages and Myths
PART THREE: ISSUES
Engaging the Parts
Working with Dissociation
Reconnecting to the Body
Sexuality
Avoiding the Thoughts
Resistance
PART FOUR: THE ADOLESCENT'S EXPERIENCE
Therapy
The Adolescent Comments

Editorial Reviews

This follow-up to the author's 1997 explores abuse issues using techniques that recognize and address the trauma internalized from the abuse and from the family experience. Also covered are ways of placing the abuse in context, reconnecting the body sexually, and the positive and negative possibilities of the therapy experience. Paper edition (unseen), $26.95. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews