Listening to Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse leaves a legacy that continues to affect survivors in adulthood. This practical book is full of personal stories that provide helping professionals with the knowledge they need to truly meet survivors' needs.Survivors share a wide range of personal experiences, including abuse within families, institutions and faith communities, abuse by females, and organised child sexual exploitation. Expert psychologist Christiane Sanderson explains what lessons can be drawn from these stories, and how to support survivors of such experiences in professional settings. Examining the common consequences experienced by survivors in adulthood - such as shame, vulnerability to substance addiction, attachment issues, dissociation, and distortion of reality - Sanderson advises how to listen and respond sensitively, and create an optimal environment for post-traumatic healing.