NCJ Number
224807
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 17 Issue: 3/4 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 397-420
Date Published
November 2008
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This article discusses spiritual dimensions of the trauma of clergy-perpetrated sexual assault (CPSA).
Abstract
Researchers and practitioners are only beginning to learn about the spiritual dimension of CPSA. Findings show that CPSA is not simply a psychological, social, or physical event: it is a spiritual trauma. In assessing the damage that results from CPSA, it is recommended that clinicians be sure to attend to the spiritual dimension. By providing guidance to clinicians trying to address spirituality in the treatment process, positive intervention can occur. Progress in psychotherapy may rest on the clinician’s willingness to address the spiritual problems created by sexual abuse. Yet spirituality can be a source of solutions as well as a source of problems. An individual’s spirituality can be negatively impacted by CPSA, but that in searching for the sacred, it can serve as a valuable resource for survivors. Therapeutic progress can be facilitated by the clinician’s willingness to help clients identify and draw on spiritual resources. Formal course training, continuing education, and advanced clinical supervision in the domain of spirituality are all important prerequisites to practice in this area. With a deeper knowledge of spirituality, therapists will be better equipped to integrate this dimension of life more fully into the process of healing. Figure and references