Therapy with male survivors of sexual abuse: the client perspective

Nineteen men who were sexually abused as children were asked what advice they would give to therapists who work with male survivors. Content analysis was used to interpret their responses. The majority of the participants described specific negative experiences they had had with therapists. When discussing positive therapeutic experiences or when imparting advice to therapists, they described therapy as a journey and the therapist as a guide. The six therapist traits they described as most helpful included being informed about male sexual abuse issues, informing the client about the therapeutic process, being connected to the client, respecting the client's process, going the distance with the client, and letting the client go at the right time.