How Do Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Discuss Experiences of Psychological Therapies?

What is it about?

This systematic review explored 23 qualitative studies that included direct quotes from adult survivors of child sexual abuse, who engaged in nonspecific and trauma-focused talking therapies. Using a line-by-line thematic synthesis, four analytical themes developed. These themes were: The Therapeutic Process as a Means for Forming Connections, which discusses therapeutic relationships; Developing a Sense of Self Through the Therapeutic Processes, which identifies stages of developmental recovery; Therapeutic Lights and Black Holes in the Shadows of child sexual abuse, which reflects on how a history of child sexual abuse influenced experiences of therapy; and Healing or Harrowing: Connecting With Others and First-time Experiences, which explores what was helpful, hindering, and new throughout the therapeutic journey.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The review highlights the incredibly important role of the therapeutic relationship for people who have experienced CSA as they embark on a working relationship with another where there is an inherent power imbalance. However, positive accounts of therapy indicate how powerful the process of developing authentic trust and the experiential learning of control and choice are to healing. Additionally, Recommendations are discussed in relation to developing therapeutic practice and future research. A novel finding emerging from the review was that there appeared to be five distinctive stages of therapeutic change in terms of how participants saw themselves over time. Across the studies, the stages of healing appeared to first link past experiences of CSA with current distress, then forming intrapersonal connections and integrating trauma histories to form a new sense of self. Once a stronger sense of self had developed, self-kindness was the next step before participants discussed the development of autonomy in relation to the past abuse, away from a survivor identity towards a “whole” adult self.

Perspectives