Grappling with theological issues raised by abuse, this book argues that the Church should be challenged, and ministered to, by survivors. Paying careful attention to her interviews with Christian women survivors, Shooter finds that through painful experiences of transformation they have surprisingly become potential agents of transformation for others. Shooter brings the survivors' narratives into dialogue with the story of Job and with medieval mystic Marguerite Porete's spirituality of 'annihilation'. Culminating in an engagement with contemporary feminist theology concerning power and powerlessness, there emerges a set of principles for authentic community spirituality which crosses boundaries with God, supports appropriate human boundaries and, crucially, listens attentively. Appealing to Church leaders, students, practitioners and practical theologians, this book offers a creative and ethical theological enquiry as well as some spiritual anchor points for survivors.

Offering a model of care that the church can use with survivors of sexual abuse, this supportive book is backed up by René Girard's Mimetic Theory throughout. The book proposes that the treatment survivors receive in churches could be greatly improved if instead of adding to a survivor's sense of guilt, difference or isolation or trying to change survivors' thoughts, feelings or behaviour they adopt the role of God as benevolent other. It shows that by adopting these beliefs churches can move past unintentional scapegoating of sexual abuse survivors and into a healing community where survivors feel included on churchgoers' journeys towards health and wholeness.

This book identifies and analyzes the forms, causes, and potential treatments of religious abuse. Religious abuse can include experiences of sexual, physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental abuse connected to a religious context. The book will help readers understand different types of religious abuse, including where the perpetrator is a religious leader, a group, or a system, as well as when there is an overtly spiritual element connected to the justification for the abuse. It also describes common experiences of those who have experienced religious abuse and some treatment approaches that will be useful to mental health providers when their clients present with these experiences. The rigorous scholarly approach of this book provides an academically grounded insight into this complex topic. As such, it will be a key reference for those studying and working in Religious Studies, Religion and Psychology, the Sociology of Religion, and Counseling and Mental Health.

This solidly biblical and sensitive guide from two medical and counseling professionals is full of helpful information for Christian communities ministering to children and families recovering from sexual abuse.

This powerful book deals with the issue of how Christians, especially those called to counsel, can help survivors of sexual abuse find healing and hope. From 20 years of experience, the author demonstrates how counselors can walk alongside people deeply wounded by sexual abuse as they face the truth about who they are, who their abuser was, and who God is as the Savior and Redeemer of all life. Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse issues a strong call to the church at large to walk with survivors through the long dark nights of their healing.

Pastors and church personnel often struggle to apply intentional and appropriate doses of both biblical grace and stringent accountability to victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Churches can regularly be prone to turn the tables on survivors by applying a heavy dosage of conviction to victims and misguided clemency toward ...

The sexual exploitation of a child by one who has been recognized as a representative of God is a sinister assault on that person’s psychosocial and spiritual well-being. Many survivors of such abuse present with a range of symptoms consistent with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as well as common co-occurring problems, including substance abuse, affective lability, and relational conflicts. Yet there are additional themes, particularly the impact of the abuse and institutional betrayal on the family, profound alteration in individual spirituality, and changes in individual and family religious practices, which differentiate this abuse from other traumas. Understanding the profound and multidimensional effects of clergy perpetrated sexual abuse and the betrayal of trust by religious leaders on individuals, families and communities requires the collective wisdom of many voices. This book brings together the perspectives of survivors, practitioners and scholars to examine this unique form of interpersonal violence from theoretical, clinical and spiritual perspectives with consideration given to future research needs. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Child Sex Abuse.

Become more effective in therapy when working with survivors of abuse! From Surviving to Thriving: A Therapist’s Guide to Stage II Recovery for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse is a comprehensive manual for treating survivors of childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Inspired by the author’s own private practice, it combines both theory and practice and supports the therapeutic partnership with a step-by-step outline of the healing process. This outline includes concrete and incremental strategies and exercises that help you move the survivor beyond Stage I trauma debriefing to life-changing Stage II recovery. In From Surviving to Thriving, you’ll find everything you need to know about obtaining and maintaining autonomy and speeding recovery in the age of managed care. The self-contained, focused, and incremental interventions presented in this book can be woven into your own therapeutic style, giving you and your clients more freedom, satisfaction, and, most importantly, swift treatment and recovery. You’ll also find step-by-step guidance for dealing with adult survivors, including rationale for diagnosis, process, and sequence. In addition to the description of theoretical orientations and illustrations, Surviving to Thriving contains: an overview and detailed outline of the incremental recovery process pitfalls and positive strategies for establishing the therapeutic relationship detailed instructions for building a foundation for effective therapy by reframing the client’s self-concept explanations of pathological symptoms in context of necessary and “brilliant” survival defenses workable, specific, and sequential interventions for each stage of healing designed to become autonomous and self-generating for the client techniques for trauma resolution using the survivor’s internal experience Because it’s written in accessible language and includes explanations of clinical concepts, you’ll feel comfortable putting From Surviving to Thriving in the hands of select clients—a unique feature that sets it apart from most clinical texts. This book provides exercises to help move clients into the healing recovery of Stage II. Enhanced with art and writing from recovering survivors, this book is a valuable asset as you and your clients begin the collaborative journey toward renewed emotional well-being.

In this important book, James Leehan emphasizes the use of the religious communities' spiritual, physical, and financial resources to alleviate the problem of family abuse. He sees ministers and their congregations as a source of support that no other sector of society can provide. This book will be an asset to anyone involved in helping the survivor of abuse.

Describes the latest clinical methods and advances in the treatment of these victims. Individual chapters treat play therapy, time-limited group therapy for adolescents, stages of recovery, and sexual abuse avoidance training. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR