NCJ Number
144442
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1993) Pages: 378-391
Date Published
1993
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This paper presents the concepts and application of a three-pronged model of treatment-facilitated recovery from sexual trauma.
Abstract
The model used in the Victims of Violence Program at Cambridge Hospital in Massachusetts combines (1) an ecological view of psychological trauma, (2) the idea that recovery from interpersonal trauma generally unfolds in progressive stages, and (3) a multifaceted definition of what constitutes recovery from psychological trauma. The stages of recovery from interpersonal trauma include (1) the establishment of safety; (2) remembrance, integration, and mourning; and (3) reconnecting with others. Criteria that can be used to determine successful recovery include memory, range of emotions, linkage between memories and appropriate emotions, mastery of symptoms, self-esteem, attachment, and meaning. The authors use their model in the Victims of Violence Program to match clients with the appropriate treatment approach and to screen clients for different types of groups. The program uses a structured clinical interview that gathers information from self-reports and behavioral measures to determine where a survivor is in the recovery process. The recovery criteria provide a clear definition of recovery, in the context of the stage model, and further delineate the work of recovery. It is hoped that this model will be useful to both clinicians and researchers. 13 references