Therapy of incest survivors: abuse or support?

A preliminary study examined the self-reports of 30 adult incest survivors related to professional help received for personal concerns and incest-related problems. Subjects rated the helpfulness of services received from 12 categories of professionals or groups commonly sought for counsel. Subjects utilized 113 professionals (53 male, 60 female) and spent an average of 36 sessions (9 months) in helping relationships. Chi-square analysis indicated a significant relation (p less than .001) between sex of professional or helper and rating of helpfulness of individual sessions. The trend indicated by this data suggests that male helpers were seen longer and rated lower than females. Additional information provided indicated that the most helpful categories of interventions included (1) validation; (2) advocacy; (3) empathic understanding; and (4) absence of derision or contempt. Practices or attitudes considered harmful were (1) blaming the victim; (2) lack of validation; (3) negative or rejecting responses; and (4) exploitation or victimization of the client. Sexual involvement with the person in the helping role was reported by 23% of the sample; an additional 23% reported other forms of exploitation or victimization. Results of the study are discussed using the conceptual framework of trauma-based disturbances. Reliving experiences, revictimization dynamics, and dissociative processes are speculated to be involved in the high incidence of exploitation of adult incest survivors by persons in helping roles.