"Sexual assault survivors face a precarious dilemma regarding whether or not to disclose their experience. Many survivors, once they disclose their victimization to others, are met with support and validation. These survivors report better outcomes. Unfortunately, others are not believed or are blamed for the incident(s). These negative reactions can have devastating consequences on their long-term recovery. The uncertainty of how others will respond to"--

Sexual assault is a worldwide public health concern, as it occurs to people of all genders at alarming rates and results in serious impacts to physical and mental health. Furthermore, the reactions that survivors receive from formal and informal supports can significantly influence survivors' recovery. Given the prevalence of sexual assault, practitioners need to be prepared to handle disclosures of sexual assault from clients. A Clinician's Guide to Disclosures of Sexual Assault provides guidance for service providers on how to interact with survivors of sexual assault, defined here as sexual contact or penetration without the explicit consent of the victim. The book highlights that there are specific populations (e.g., sexual minorities, men) and settings (e.g., military, higher education) that require unique considerations when discussing sexual violence. Beginning with a foundation of literature focused on sexual assault and survivor disclosure, chapters build upon current theory and offer recommendations for conducting effective assessments and psychotherapy with survivors. Finally, case examples are presented to illustrate how these approaches can be used in practice. Professionals across disciplines, such as medical or educational settings, law enforcement, and victim services, have an instrumental role in facilitating survivor recovery, and this book offers best practices for delivering services in an affirming manner.

Victims of sexual assault experience their trauma in different ways, and often one path to recovery and healing is right for one person, but not right for another. While there are some general mental health effects of sexual violence, this book outlines and describes the impact of particular types of sexual violation. Whether the survivor has experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault during adulthood, marital rape, sexual harassment, sex trafficking, or sexual violence within the military, they will find aspects of her experience in these pages. Once survivors understand the ways in which they have been affected, they are introduced to various pathways to surviving sexual violence and moving forward. The chapters provide case examples and specific activities which give a fuller description of the ways survivors can make use of the particular approaches, which include mind-body practices, counseling, group therapies, self-defense training, and others. Anyone who has been a victim of sexual violence, or knows and cares about someone who has, will find relief in these pages, which offer practical approaches to finding balance and healing.

After reviewing the relevant treatment literature, the authors detail how to assess and treat PTSD using a cognitive-behavioral approach. Co mplete instructions are given for planning treatment, as well as for i ntroducing the patient to the various interventions. Nine exposure and stress management techniques are then detailed, including imaginal ex posure (trauma reliving), in vivo exposure, relaxation training, thoug ht-stopping, cognitive restructuring, covert modeling, and role-playin g. Enhancing the books clinical utility are numerous case examples il lustrating how to implement the techniques, as well as explanations of how to cope with common problems and complications in treatment. The final chapter presents detailed outlines of three suggested treatment programs.

A health-care provider is likely to be the first professional contact for survivors of intimate partner violence or sexual assault. Evidence suggests that women who have been subjected to violence seek health care more often than non-abused women, even if they do not disclose the associated violence. They also identify health-care providers as the professionals they would most trust with disclosure of abuse. These guidelines are an unprecedented effort to equip healthcare providers with evidence-based guidance as to how to respond to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women. They also provide advice for policy makers, encouraging better coordination and funding of services, and greater attention to responding to sexual violence and partner violence within training programmes for health care providers. The guidelines are based on systematic reviews of the evidence, and cover: 1. identification and clinical care for intimate partner violence 2. clinical care for sexual assault 3. training relating to intimate partner violence and sexual assault against women 4. policy and programmatic approaches to delivering services 5. mandatory reporting of intimate partner violence. The guidelines aim to raise awareness of violence against women among health-care providers and policy-makers, so that they better understand the need for an appropriate health-sector response. They provide standards that can form the basis for national guidelines, and for integrating these issues into health-care provider education.

A comprehensive guide to the identification, assessment, and treatment of child sexual abuse The field of child sexual abuse has experienced an explosion of research, literature, and enhanced treatment methods over the last thirty years. Representing the latest refinements of thought in this field, Handbook of Child Sexual Abuse: Identification, Assessment, and Treatment combines the most current research with a wealth of clinical experience. The contributing authors, many of whom are pioneers in their respective specialties, include researchers and clinicians, forensic interviewers and law enforcement professionals, caseworkers and victim advocates, all of whom do the work of helping children who have been sexually victimized. Offering a snapshot of the state of the field as it stands today, Handbook of Child Sexual Abuse explores a variety of issues related to child sexual abuse, from identification, assessment, and treatment methods to models for implementation and prevention, including: The impact of sexual abuse on the developing brain The potential implications of early sexual victimization Navigating the complexities of multidisciplinary teams Forensic interviewing and clinical assessment Treatment options for children who have traumagenic symptoms as a response to their sexual victimization Treating children with sexual behavior problems and adolescents who engage in illegal sexual behavior Secondary trauma and vicarious traumatization Cultural considerations and prevention efforts Edited by a leader in the field of child therapy, this important reference equips helping professionals on the front lines in the battle against child sexual abuse not merely with state-of-the-art knowledge but also with a renewed vision for the importance of their role in the shaping of our culture and the healing of victimized children.

Sexual assault and harassment in the military have been a critical subject for years. Many victims may be reluctant to press charges because of fear of retaliation, damage to their careers, and widespread uncertainty regarding the military justice system. However, when circumstances arise, there are resources available to assist victims and families in their efforts to report, seek help, and recover from the effects of sexual assault. Yet, finding those resources can be challenging, especially in a time of crisis. Sexual Assault in the Military serves as an easy-to-use, comprehensive reference guide for military members and their families about sexual assault and harassment. While more and more attention focuses on getting victims to report their abuse, accessing information can still be difficult for service-members. Understanding that the military is making changes, and offering support is a necessary step towards how best to treat these cases and how to get help and justice. Cheryl Lawhorne-Scott and Don Philpott discuss the current state of affairs, the systems in place, and the supports available to victims and families. They provide documents that outline how reporting can and should take place, how cases should be handled through the military justice system, and how and where victims can access resources, including counseling. By providing this information in one ready resource, the authors hope to assist in changing the culture of silence and fear, as well as provide education surrounding military sexual assault and harassment.

This book has a two-fold purpose: (1) to provide the practicing clinician with information about the controversy surrounding delayed/repressed memory of sexual abuse and (2) to provide treatment principles and guidelines for working with these issues.Since the eruption of the recovered memory controversy in 1992, the treatment of adults who report abuse as children (whether their memory has been relatively continuous or has been recovered) has become a high-risk area, as numerous lawsuits have been filed alleging false memory of abuse due to suggestive therapeutic practices. In this climate, clinicians have become fearful, cautious, and confused about how to practice responsibly with this population.Since a large percentage of those seeking psychotherapy have a history of sexual abuse, all clinicians need a clear articulation of the current evolving standard of care for clients reporting memories of abuse. Drawing together material from many sources, this book provides state-of-the-art principles and guidelines for treatment when memories of past abuse are at issue. It covers available empirical and clinical data on human memory processes for normal and traumatic events and on the treatment of posttraumatic conditions in general and child sexual abuse in particular; the critiques and concerns voiced by cognitive psychologists who investigate memory and suggestibility issues; the recommendations made by a number of professional task forces and advisory committees charged with studying the issues involved in the controversy and making recommendations for practice; and the recommendations of expert clinicians and clinical researchers. Especially useful is Courtois's application of the treatment decision model to a range of clinical scenarios, from continuous, corroborated memory of abuse to suspicions of abuse based on symptomatology. Speaking with authority and empathy, Courtois shows clinicians how to practice responsibly and safely while doing memory work. Her guidance is invaluable.

"The Clinician's Guide to Child Custody Evaluations, Third Edition is written by one of the leaders in the field. it is as essential to the subject of child custody as the stethoscope is to medicine. This edition, an update of a classic, is a must-read for everyone from the novice to the expert's expert." - Leslie M. Drozd, PhD, Editor, Journal of Child Custody A practical and comprehensive guide for conducting child custody evaluations. Clinician's Guide to Child Custody Evaluations addresses the entire custody evaluation process from beginning to end. This New Third Edition reflects the abundant recent research in this area, including new evaluating and testing findings and new ethical guidelines from the APA. This edition also features fully up-to-date coverage of important legal decisions affecting child custody. With many chapters completely revised and rewritten, the third Edition covers: * Roles the mental health Practitioner can play and operate within the legal arena * What encompasses a custody evaluation * Ethical considerations and responsibilities involved in custody disputes * How to interview, make behavioral observations, and collect collateral information * Standards, applicability,and administration of tests * Specialized child custody instruments such as the Ackerman-Schoendorf Scales for Parent Evaluation of Custody (ASPECT) * How divorce affect families * Evaluating parents' behavior * How to prepare for the courtroom process * Maltreatment, including neglect, abuse, and domestic violence * Placement schedules * How to write reports, draw conclusions, and render opinions Each chapter ends with critical issues for the practitioner to consider. The accessible reference format provides a quick review of relevant discussions in the text. In addition, this book includes convenient guides to relevant legal terms, documents forms, APA guidelines, and codes of conduct. Based not only on current research but also on the author's considerable experience with thousands of evaluations, Clinician's Guide to Child Custody Evaluations is the definitive guide to this field for students and practitioners.