Canadian Study

[Kizzie]

Kim Harper, Carol A. Stalker, Sally Palmer & Sue Gadbois (2008) Adults traumatized by child abuse: What survivors need from community-based mental health professionals, Journal of Mental Health, 17:4, 361-374, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09638230701498366 

Results: Participants reported difficulties managing intense feelings that surfaced after inpatient treatment, which became more problematic when they could not talk about them honestly with their community-based therapists. Therapists who were patient, understanding, and respectful of survivors' needs for a sense of control in working toward their own solutions were most helpful. Participants emphasized the need for accessible trauma-based treatment from clinicians.

Conclusions: Many communities in Canada, due to lack of resources, are not providing trauma-specific services. This study indicates that community-based therapists need to become more knowledgeable about trauma issues, to increase their ability to work collaboratively with adults abused as children in assessing their therapeutic needs, and to ensure that survivors have some control in the treatment process.