Why Provide Psycho-Education ? For Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. 1 st September 2014

Education helps to: Break the silence Increase understanding Bring changes and ‘dispel’ myths Remove any stigma and shame Empower a person to make informed choices Encourage access to help earlier Bring freedom

Education Provides: An understanding about the impact of childhood sexual abuse upon survivors, their partners, families, carers and those whom they come into contact with. It teaches that recovery is possible in a safe and managed way and at a pace which respects and maintains the survivor’s dignity.

For Family Members and Allies Education Provides: Knowledge Cognitive support An understanding to how recovery is going to affect the survivor and other family members. Eg. How long is recovery going to take? How can I help and what do I need to do?

For Survivors Education Provides: A background of general knowledge about child sexual abuse An education programme about the impact of child sexual abuse and a trauma therapy model for recovery. Once abuse has been disclosed the focus for survivors is on using a post trauma model of therapy. Also helps to understand and focus on the initial tasks for recovery which are to stabilise their symptoms, moods, and strengthen their adult ego state.

The Reason for a Post Trauma Model Trauma specialists world wide re-assessed the methods of working with adult survivors of child sexual abuse and decided that the focus needed to be more on the ‘impact’ of the sexual abuse rather than the content about ‘what happened’. They also agreed that initially survivors sense of self was fragile and fragmented and that time in therapy was needed to focus on developing and strengthening a sense of themselves as a person in an adult ego state so that they are able to take ‘response-ability’ for their recovery in order to bring about the necessary changes and at a pace which respects and maintains their dignity.

The Initial Focus is on: Assessing how the survivor is coping at present. Developing their need to strengthen a sense of themselves as a person and also their inner resources. Helping to stabilise any traumatic symptoms. Improving and developing ways of looking after themselves and the skills that are required in communicating their needs. Eventually, looking at some way of them handling their trauma. Incorporating into recovery that relapse is to be anticipated and planned for.

That means: The early work in therapy is about the survivor developing skills to manage their feelings, separating emotions from actions, learning grounding skills, and focusing on their ego resources and personal stability. It also means developing the skills to manage the Four Post Trauma Abuse Issues of dissociation, regression, disorganised thought processes and sensory impairment.

This Approach Enables a Survivor to: Increase their ability to respond to threat with a realistic assessment instead of exaggerated or minimal responses. Maintain a normal level of reaction rather than an ‘over the top’ response. Begin to use healthier coping mechanisms. Allow recovery to occur in safety and understanding. Regulate the intensity of the trauma. Allow for a transformation from victim to survivor.

The Focus in Therapy is: More on exploring ‘how the sexual abuse has left you’ rather than what has happened. The therapeutic approach is more on a developmental model of understanding as the emotional development and growth of the child has been arrested in order for the victim to survive and maintain a certain level of dignity. This approach acknowledges and addresses the developmental arrest issues related to attachment, the ability to assimilate information, differentiate between past and present, accomplishment and in doing so re- establishes the natural cycle of emotional growth and development.

The Healing Task Kepner Model This educational assessment and evaluation tool allows for an assessment to be made by the survivor and therapist either together or separately the see where the survivor is at on their road to recovery. (Healing Tasks by Kepner:1995) It also allows the survivor / therapist to assess how their recovery is developing. It also allows survivors to realise what they have achieved. It also allows the survivor to see the transformation occurring from victim to survivor.

Education Helps to: Empower Enhance self esteem Normalise the traumatic stress response Address the impact of shame Encourage emotional growth and development Allows a person to move from victim to survivor