Time-limited group treatment with women survivors of childhood sexual abuse

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse is a life experience that has both long and short term consequences for the survivor. For most women, the experience of having been sexually victimized as children has resulted in chronic feelings of helplessness and powerlessness. The purpose of this practicum was to implement a time-limited group treatment approach to help the adult women improve their ways of coping through the reduction of feelings of guilt, shame, pain, grief and low self-esteem which are common after-effects of the incest experience. The group was conducted over 12 consecutive weeks in twelve, two hour sessions with the participation of seven women survivors of childhood sexual abuse.