The Dialectic of Chaos and Control in the Experience of Therapists Who Work With Sexually Abused Children

Abstract

The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding the interaction between the emotionally destructive intensity of the trauma and forces that foster growth in therapists who treat sexually abused children. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews with 14 experienced social workers. Content analysis reveals two emotional poles. At one pole, the dominant experiences are anxiety, turmoil, and intrusion that disrupted the order in the interviewee’s secure world. At the opposing pole, the dominant experiences are positive, such as hope and faith. These formed the basis of empowering meaning construction that engendered a sense of control, enabling the therapists to trust the value of intervention with sexually abused children. The discussion uses a dialectical perspective to examine how interaction between these two poles enhances our understanding of the emotional and existential threats inherent in working with children who have experienced sexual abuse and on the potential for positive change.

Keywords:

• child sexual abuse
• posttraumatic growth
• therapists of child sexual abuse
• vicarious trauma

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chaya Possick

Chaya Possick received her MSW from Yeshiva University in New York and her PhD in social work from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is a senior lecturer in the School of Social Work, Ariel University. She is a certified supervisor in marriage and family therapy. Her clinical expertise and research interests focus on family stress, trauma, and loss.

Nirit Waisbrod

Nirit Waisbrod, received her PhD in social work in 2008 from Tel Aviv University. She is a lecturer in the Department of Social Work in the Zefat Academic College. Her clinical expertise and research interests focus on child abuse. She founded and heads a network of public clinics in Israel for the treatment of child and adolescent sexual abuse.

Eli Buchbinder

Eli Buchbinder, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Israel. He specializes in qualitative research on family violence and client perceptions of professional intervention. Formerly, he worked as a social worker and family therapist with domestic violence, adolescents at risk, and families in deep and prolonged distress.