Psychotherapy with Sexual Assault Survivors

Abstract

Sexual assault is associated with an increased risk of a wide range of mental health problems; therefore, treatment should be targeted to address the client’s primary presenting concerns. In this chapter, specific recommendations are provided for using psychotherapy to treat survivors of sexual assault. In particular, suggestions are given for using exposure-based treatments and cognitive-based treatments with these clients. These recommendations focus on how to increase disclosure of details of the assault and to address negative reactions that clients may have received from other disclosure recipients. Furthermore, suggestions are offered related to the terminology and language used during these discussions in treatment.