This retrospective study investigates the impact on women's functioning of recounting during their therapy the graphic details of sexual abuse they had experienced in childhood. Fifty-nine participants residing in Southern Ontario were divided into two groups: those who spent more time (N=19) versus less time (N=40) in therapy recounting graphic abuse details. Results revealed that the group who had spent more time recounting abuse memories: (a) had mean functioning scores that were significantly lower before and during therapy, but that did not significantly differ after therapy; (b) recovered more memories of abuse during therapy, and (c) were more likely to have participated in hypnosis, and to report having been encouraged to remember details of abuse. Participants rated as most therapeutic those approaches that assisted them to increase their understanding of the abuse. Strategies related to acceptance, understanding, and making meaning were most important in promoting healing.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Adams-Westcott, J., and Isenbart, D. (1996). Creating preferred relationships: The politics of recovery from child sexual abuse. J. Systemic Therap. 15(1): 13–30.
Armsworth, M. W. (1989). Therapy of incest survivors: Abuse or support? Child Abuse Negl. 13: 549–562.
Berliner, L., and Briere, J. (1999). Trauma, memory, and clinical practice. In Williams, L. M., and Banyard, V. L. (eds.), Trauma and Memory, Sage Publications, Thousands Oaks, CA, pp. 3–18.
Claridge, K. (1992). Reconstructing memories of abuse: A theory-based approach. Psychotherapy 29(2): 243–252.
Courtois, C. (1992). The memory retrieval process in incest survivors therapy. J. Child Sexual Abuse 1(1): 15–31.
Dolan, Y. (1991). Resolving Sexual Abuse: Solution Focused Therapy Ericksonian Hypnosis for Adult Survivors, W. W. Norton, New York.
Draucker, C. B. (1992). Counselling Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sage, London.
Enns, C. Z. (1996). The feminist therapy institute code of ethics: Implications for working with survivors of child sexual abuse. Women Therap. 19(1): 79–91.
Ewing, K., and Avis, J. M. (2000). In search of healing: Survivors' perspectives on working with traumatic memories in therapy. Unpublished manuscript.
Gil, E. (1988). Treatment of Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Launch Press, Walnut Creek, CA.
Gold, S. N., Hughes, D. M., and Swingle, J. N. (1999). Degrees of memory of childhood sexual abuse among women survivors in therapy. J. Fam. Viol. 14(1): 35–46.
Harvey, M. (1999). Memory research and clinical practice: A critique of three paradigms and a framework for psychotherapy with truma survivors. In L. M. Williams and Banyard (Eds.), Trauma and memory (pp. 19–29), Thousands Oaks, CA: Safe Publications.
Herman, J. (1997). Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence- from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror, Basic Books, New York.
Herman, J., and Schatzow, E. (1987). Recovery and verification of memories of childhood sexual trauma. Psychoanal. Psychol. 4: 1–14.
Horowitz, M. D. (1976). Stress Response Syndromes, Jason Aronson, New York.
Jenson, J. (1995). Reclaiming Your Life: A Step-By-Step Guide to Using Regression Therapy to Overcome the Effects of Childhood Abuse, Penguin, New York.
Kamsler, A. (1990). Her-story in the making: Therapy with women who were sexually abused in childhood. In Durrant, M., and White, C. (eds.), Ideas for Therapy with Sexual Abuse, Dulwich Centre, Adelaide, pp. 9–35.
Kirschner, S., Kirschner, D. A., and Rappaport, R. L. (1993). Working with Adult Incest Survivors: The Healing Journey, Brunner/Mazel, New York.
Lindsay, D. S., and Read, J. D. (1995). “Memory work” and recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse: Scientific evidence and public, professional, and personal issues. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law 4: 846–908.
Loftus, E. (1993). The reality of repressed memories. Am. Psychol. 48: 518–537.
Loftus, E., and Coan, D. (1995). The construction of childhood memories. In Peters, D. (ed.), The Child Witness in Context: Cognitive, Social and Legal Perspectives, Kluwer, New York.
McCann, I. L., and Pearlman, L. A. (1990). Psychological Trauma and the Adult Survivor: Theory, Therapy, and Transformation, Brunner/Mazel, New York.
Meiselman, K. C. (1990). Resolving the Trauma of Incest: Reintegration Therapy with Survivors, Jossey-Bass Ltd, San Francisco.
Olio, K. A. (1989). Memory retrieval in the treatment of adult survivors of sexual abuse. Transact. Anal. J. 19(2): 93–100.
Penn, P. (1998). Rape flashbacks: Constructing a new narrative. Fam. Process 37(3): 299–310.
Piers, C. C. (1999). Remembering trauma: A characterological perspective. In Williams, L., and Banyard, V. L. (eds.), Trauma and Memory, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Poole, D. A., Lindsay, D. S., Memon, A., and Bull, R. (1995). Psychotherapy and the recovery of memories of childhood sexual abuse: U.S. and British practitioners' opinions, practices, and experiences. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 63(3): 426–437.
Pope, K. S., and Brown, L. S. (1996). Recovered Memories of Abuse: Assessment, Therapy, Forensics, American Psychological Association, Washington.
Pope, K. S., and Tabachnick, B. G. (1995). Recovered memories of abuse among therapy patients: A national survey. Ethics Behav. 5(3): 237–248.
Rivera, M. (1996). More Alike than Different: Treating Severely Dissociative Trauma Survivors, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.
Scheflin, A. W., and Brown, D. (1996). Repressed memory or dissociative amnesia: What the science says. J. Psychiatr. Law 24: 143–188.
Silver, R. L., Boon, C., and Stones, M. H. (1983). Searching for meaning in misfortune: Making sense of incest. J. Soc. Issues 39(2): 81–102.
Simonds, S. L. (1994). Bridging the Silence, W.W. Norton, New York.
Smucker, M. R., Dancu, C., Foa, E. B., and Niederee, J. L. (1995). Imagery rescripting: a new treatment for survivors of childhood sexual abuse suffering from posttraumatic stress. J. Cogn. Psychother. 9(1): 3–17.
van der Kolk, B. A. (1987). Psychological Trauma, American Psychiatric Press, Washington.
Wade, A. (1997). Small acts of living: Everyday resistance to violence and other forms of oppression. Contemp. Fam. Therap. 19(1): 23–39.
Whitfield, C. L. (1995). Memory and Abuse: Remembering and Healing the Effects of Trauma, Health Communications, Inc, Deerfield Beach, FL.
Williams, L. M. (1994). Recall of childhood trauma: A prospective study of women's memories of child sexual abuse. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 62(6): 1167–1176.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This paper was based on the master's thesis of the first author (B.S.) supervised by the second author (J.M.A.). A special thanks to Anna Dienhart and Susan Lollis who served on the thesis committee and to Richard Goy and Scott Maitland for statistical consultation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Spitzer, B., Avis, J.M. Recounting Graphic Sexual Abuse Memories in Therapy: The Impact on Women's Healing. J Fam Viol 21, 173–184 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-006-9015-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-006-9015-5