What is it about?
This article describes the grief issues that may be experienced by a survivor of sexual abuse and provides strategies for helping professionals to assist in processing this grief.
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Why is it important?
In addition to validating that grief is a normal response to sexual abuse, the article provides a tool for mental health professionals to assess the death-related and non-death-related losses (e.g., abstract / intangible / secondary losses) that are part of this experience.
Perspectives
I wrote this article due to the work that I did with abuse survivors dealing with mental health challenges. So often their grief is not validated within the mental health system and is a very normal response to what has happened. This article was my attempt to provide tools for mental health professionals to assist in cases where sexual abuse is a contributing factor.
Dr Carla J. Sofka
Siena College
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: For the butterflies i never chased, i grieve: Incorporating grief and loss issues in treatment with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, Journal of Personal and Interpersonal Loss, April 1999, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/10811449908409722.
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Contributors
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