Techniques and Issues in Abuse-Focused Therapy with Children & Adolescents

Addressing the Internal Trauma

How can therapists deal effectively with children or adolescents who have been sexually abused - but refuse to discuss their experiences? Working with such young people presents innumerable challenges for the therapist. In this book, Sandra Wieland describes `The Internalization Model', which provides a framework to help therapists understand the effects of sexual abuse on children's or adolescents' internal sense of self and world, even when the child does not talk about the abuse.

Ways of addressing and shifting these abuse-related internalizations within the therapy are described, together with specific techniques such as imaging, genograms and time-lines. Other topics explored include: sexuality; dissociation; and resistance by the child, parent or therapist.