Effective counselling methods and strategies, based on my personal experiences, for victims of trauma & abuse

Abstract

This article was written with reference to my recent autobiographical publication, ‘My Nine Lives – A Psychotherapist’s Journey From Victim to Survivor’, published in December 2012. A significant number of people within the general population are victims of trauma and abuse (including both physical and sexual). Some have come out and bravely spoken of their experiences; however, most victims still live within a thick veil of silence, fear and shame. This article therefore examines the counselling methods and strategies that I, a survivor, have found beneficial and have employed in my own self-therapy and personal growth in overcoming the psychological and emotional damage, and lingering after-effects associated with being a victim of sexual abuse and trauma.