The dead little girl

Abstract

Despite our sensitivity to the suffering experienced by adult clients, victims of childhood sexual abuse, echoes of these events continue to reverberate throughout their lives. Rarely does a client afford us more than a glimpse into the agony caused by those traumatic experiences. This paper describes the treatment of a woman whose initial complaint centered on a lack of desire for sexual contact with her husband. As the case evolved, she began to recall childhood traumatic experiences that had remained long repressed. Her literary talent allowed a level of expression not often available in the therapy setting. Excerpts from her writings provide a unique dimension to this case description.

Keywords:

• childhood sexual abuse
• defense mechanism
• sex therapy
• sex and religion