Techniques and Issues in Abuse-Focused Therapy with Children & Adolescents
Addressing the Internal Trauma
- Sandra Wieland - Center for Treatment of Sexual Abuse and Childhood Trauma, Ottawa
September 1998 | 256 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
How can therapists deal effectively with children or adolescents who have been sexually abused - but refuse to discuss their experiences? Working with such young people presents innumerable challenges for the therapist. In this book, Sandra Wieland describes `The Internalization Model', which provides a framework to help therapists understand the effects of sexual abuse on children's or adolescents' internal sense of self and world, even when the child does not talk about the abuse.
Ways of addressing and shifting these abuse-related internalizations within the therapy are described, together with specific techniques such as imaging, genograms and time-lines. Other topics explored include: sexuality; dissociation; and resistance by the child, parent or therapist.
PART ONE: THE CHILD'S TRAUMA
Understanding the Child's Trauma
PART TWO: TECHNIQUES
Addressing the Child's Internalizations
Working Within
Placing the Abuse in Context
PART THREE: ISSUES
Engaging the Parts
Reconnecting to the Body
Avoiding the Thoughts
PART FOUR: THE ADOLESCENT'S EXPERIENCE
Therapy