Problem and Solution: The Spiritual Dimension of Clergy Sexual Abuse and its Impact on Survivors

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we offer a way to understand the spiritual dimension of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse. Spirituality is defined as a search for the sacred—a process of discovery, conservation, and transformation that evolves over the lifespan. We describe the ways in which clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse impacts negatively on the individual's search for the sacred and the ways in which spirituality can serve as a valuable resource for survivors. We then consider how clinicians can draw on the client's spirituality as a source of solutions to problems and how clinicians can address the spiritual problems raised by clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse. Perhaps the greatest challenge for mental health professionals is to become better acquainted with the multifaceted nature of spiritual life.

KEYWORDS:

• Sacred
• psychotherapy
• transformation
• desecration
• struggle
• growth