Talking Therapy Services for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) in Scotland: Perspectives of Service Users and Professionals
Abstract
This study aimed to elicit perceptions and experiences of talking therapy services for CSA survivors and professionals utilizing qualitative interviews and analyzing transcripts using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants included 13 adult survivors and 31 professionals in statutory and voluntary services in Scotland. Main themes were benefits from and challenges of the therapeutic process. Benefits included a trusting therapeutic relationship, feeling safe to disclose, breaking isolation, enhancing self-esteem and self-worth, contextualizing the abuse, and moving toward recovery. Challenges included trauma-focused work, supportive contact, continuity and consistency of services, accessibility during acute episodes, hearing and managing disclosures, child protection issues, and availability and accessibility of services. The findings support a greater emphasis on relational models, supervision, and training.
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Chouliara et al. found that participants felt safe to disclose, established a trusting relationship with workers, and felt treatment helped their recovery.
“the authors demonstrated that the participants felt safe to disclose, had established a trusting relationship with the workers, and felt the treatment helped them in their recovery.”
From The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors (2016) · cites this paper as Chouliara et al., (2011)
Chouliara et al. (2011) examined the experiences of 13 adult child sexual abuse survivors in Scotland, both men and women, who received individual counseling for their abuse history.
“Chouliara et al., (2011) examined the 73! !experiences, of 13 adult survivors of CSA in Scotland (both men and women) that received individual counseling for their abuse history.”
From The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors (2016) · cites this paper as Chouliara et al., (2011)
Other challenges for adult survivors include emotional difficulties linked to therapeutic work, continuity of care, and general availability of services, especially during crisis episodes.
“Other challenges regarding service use for adult survivors included the emotional difficulties linked to the therapeutic work, continuity of care, as well as general availability of services, especially during crisis episodes”
From The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors (2016) · cites this paper as Chouliara et al., 2011
Cites
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa · Cited by 194,414 · see citing works
Smith, J. A. (1996) · Psychology & Health · doi:10.1080/08870449608400256 · Cited by 2,380 · see citing works
Developing Distress Protocols for Research on Sensitive Topics
Draucker, C. B., Martsolf, D. S., & Poole, C. (2009) · Archives of Psychiatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2008.10.008 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
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The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors
Gagnier, C., & Collin-Vézina, D. (2016) · Journal of Child Sexual Abuse · doi:10.1080/10538712.2016.1124308 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Risk factors for negative experiences during psychotherapy
Hardy, G. E., Bishop-Edwards, L., Chambers, E., Connell, J., Dent-Brown, K., Kothari, G., O’hara, R., & Parry, G. D. (2019) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503307.2017.1393575 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
- Authors
- Chouliara, Z., Karatzias, T., Scott-Brien, G., Macdonald, A., MacArthur, J., & Frazer, N.
- Affiliations
- Ninewells Hospital (GB)
- Edinburgh Napier University (GB)
- National Health Service (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Chouliara, Zoë
- Venue
- Journal of Child Sexual Abuse
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2011-03-24
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 128-156
- ISSN
- 1053-8712 (ISSN-L)
- 1547-0679
- OpenAlex
- W2069464346
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Child Sexual Abuse (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Queen Margaret University Publications Repository (Queen Margaret University) (acceptedVersion)
- Queen Margaret University Publications Repository (Queen Margaret University) (submittedVersion)
- Research Output (Edinburgh Napier University) (submittedVersion)
- Edinburgh Napier Research Repository (Edinburgh Napier University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Universidad de Sevilla
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Military, Security, and Education Studies
- Keywords
- child sexual abuse, adult survivors, psychotherapy, psychotherapy services, service user perspectives, professional perspectives, therapeutic relationship, disclosure, trauma-focused psychotherapy, child protection, access to services, continuity of care, self-esteem, Scotland
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anecdotes as Topic, Attitude of Health Personnel, Child, Child Abuse, Sexual, Communication, Female, Humans, Male, Patient Participation, Physician-Patient Relations, Professional-Patient Relations, Surveys and Questionnaires, Scotland, Self Disclosure, Survivors, Young Adult
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