Psychological Trauma And The Adult Survivor

First published in 1991. In this book, the authors present a new conceptualization of the unique experience of trauma survivors. They offer both a new theoretical model which we call constructivist self-development theory (CSDT) and a description of its application to clinical assessment of and intervention with adult trauma survivors.

Presents a model for the treatment of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse that takes advantage of a relational approach and that integrates psychoanalytic thinking with the latest findings from the literature on psychological trauma and sexual abuse. Case examples illustrate the authors' treatment model. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Grounded in 40 years of clinical practice and research, this book provides a systematic yet flexible evidence-informed framework for treating adult survivors of complex trauma, particularly those exposed to chronic emotional abuse or neglect. Component-based psychotherapy (CBP) addresses four primary treatment components that can be tailored to each client's unique needs--relationship, regulation, dissociative parts, and narrative. Vivid extended case examples illustrate CBP intervention strategies and bring to life both the client's and therapist's internal experiences. The appendix features a reproducible multipage clinician self-assessment tool that can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. See also Treating Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents, Second Edition, by Margaret E. Blaustein and Kristine M. Kinniburgh, which presents a complementary approach also developed at The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute.

Grounded in 40 years of clinical practice and research, this book provides a systematic yet flexible evidence-informed framework for treating adult survivors of complex trauma, particularly those exposed to chronic emotional abuse or neglect. Component-based psychotherapy (CBP) addresses four primary treatment components that can be tailored to each client's unique needs--relationship, regulation, dissociative parts, and narrative. Vivid extended case examples illustrate CBP intervention strategies and bring to life both the client's and therapist's internal experiences. The appendix features a reproducible multipage clinician self-assessment tool that can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. See also Treating Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents, Second Edition, by Margaret E. Blaustein and Kristine M. Kinniburgh, which presents a complementary approach for children and adolescents.

Experiencing abuse and neglect in childhood can lead to adverse outcomes in adulthood. Adult survivors of untreated child abuse often suffer a range of long-term detrimental effects that adversely affect their functioning in numerous areas of their lives. Unfortunately, the enduring impact of chronic abuse in childhood is not well understood. This book is focused on increasing understanding of the long-term effects of traumatic childhood experiences from both psychological and physiological perspectives. Additionally, this book explores whether pathology frequently seen in adult survivors is a direct or secondary effect of their abuse. Along with scientific and theoretical text-based data, solicited written narratives by an adult survivor of childhood physical, sexual, and psychological abuse are analyzed utilizing hermeneutic methodology with elements of grounded theory to discover relevant connections between the fields of neuroscience, memory research, attachment theory, and trauma research. The relevance of findings of the diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is discussed and the implications for clinical practice are explored.

This work addresses the specific symptoms and problems experienced by many adult survivors of childhood sexual and emotional abuse. These may include problems with substance abuse, self-mutilating behaviour, suicide attempts, eating disorders, dissociative reactions, depression, sexual dysfunctions, and serious interpersonal difficulties. The authors use imaginal exposure treatment and imaginal rescripting to replace the recurring abuse-related images with mastery imagery. They provide a comprehensive description of the cognitive behavioural treatment programme that can be implemented with survivors (male and female) of childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

The culmination of three decades of studying and treating survivors of adult onset trauma, Wounded by Reality is the first systematic attempt to differentiate adult onset trauma from childhood trauma, with which it is frequently confused. When catastrophic events overtake adult lives, they often scar the psyche in ways that psychodynamically oriented clinicians struggle to understand. For Ghislaine Boulanger, the enormous challenge of working with these patients is unsurprising. Survivors of major catastrophe, whether a natural disaster, a life-threatening assault, a serious accident, or an act of terrorism, experience a near-fatal disruption of fundamental aspects of self experience. The sense of agency, of affectivity, of bodily integrity, the capacity for self-reflection, the sense of time, and the ability to relate to others - all are called into question.