Introduction

Child Sexual Abuse is an impactful experience; disruptive to developmental and relational processes in ways that arrest the nervous system within the stress responses and are deleterious to interpersonal relationships (such as within families, friendships, and with intimate partners). Moreover, the intrapersonal effects and psychosocial impacts on the development of trust in oneself and in others can be felt by those affected across their lifespan. Recovery for adults who experienced Sexual Abuse in childhood often contains the rewarding pearls and painful pitfalls that come with trauma and grief work in counselling and psychotherapy. So, do adult survivors tell us they need from Counseling and Psychotherapy in order to help them heal from CSA? This workshop aims to inform participants of the lived experience of the CSA survivor, understanding the long-term impacts and how this manifest in relationships and inevitably in therapeutic relationships. Understanding how to work with this with a specific focus on the dynamics that emerge ‘in the room’. For many years, the focus has been on clerical sexual abuse, however many individuals are now presenting with intra-familial or sibling and online experiences of sexual abuse. This brings a very different dynamic to the therapeutic space and the presentation of the clients that needs to be understood to support both the client and therapist. Additionally, current mandated reporting implications for therapy and what works to help ensure any rupture is either avoided or identified and managed well will also be addressed.

The course will cover:

• An overview of the adult CSA survivor.
• An overview of sibling sexual abuse and online sexual abuse and the long-term impacts and implications for the victim.
• What clients say works in therapy.
• The therapeutic relationship and attributes of a counsellor working with adult clients of CSA with a specific focus on the context i.e. intra or extra-familial abuse.
• Moral Distress.
• Boundaries and self-care.
• Reflexive Practice.
• Guideposts for resources, including Children First and Mandated Reporting.