© 2002 Oxford University Press
Therapeutic Challenges in Work With Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors: The Contribution of Cognitive Analytic Therapy
From the Oxford Doctoral Course in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford.
Contact author: Susan Llewelyn, PhD, Course Director, Oxford Doctoral Course in Clinical Psychology, University of Oxford, Isis Education Centre, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford 0X3 7JX, UK. E-mail: susan.llewelyn{at}hmc.ox.ac.uk
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) provides a useful therapeutic structure for addressing the range of difficulties presented by survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The concept of reciprocal roles can be helpful when addressing dysfunctional relationship patterns, especially as shown in therapeutic ruptures. Two case histories are presented that demonstrate the importance of attending to repetitive patterns in relationships in order to avert therapeutic impasse. It is suggested that CAT as a collaborative and time-limited therapy is well placed to facilitate brief treatment from the point of view of both client and therapist.
KEY WORDS: survivors of childhood sexual abuse, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, therapeutic ruptures