Resolving the trauma organized system of sexual abuse by confronting the abuser: A focal family therapy approach with a woman who was a childhood victim of sexual abuse

Abstract

The longer‐term emotional and interpersonal effects of sexual abuse in childhood are reviewed and approaches to treatment discussed. The notion of a ‘trauma organized system’ to account for the long‐standing effects of abuse is described. A major potential issue in creating therapeutic change is confronting the abuser, and a case is described where a woman brought her family for therapy when it was feared that the father, who had abused her in childhood, might abuse his grandchildren. A focal family therapy approach was used: this takes into account the traumatic nature of abusive events and their long‐term organizing effects on individual and family functioning. The process of therapeutic work is described, including the resolution of traumatic effects by confronting the abusive act. Copyright © 1992, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved