Product Description

The first book available to comprehensively address the treatment of sexually abused males, Opening the Door: A Treatment Model for Therapy with Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse is based on current research and the carefully evolved techniques of 41 therapists who have developed expertise in working with sexually abused males. It discusses both the approaches that these therapists bring to their work and presents interventions they have successfully applied in treatment. Written in clear, concise language, Opening the Door features a four-phase treatment model and presents, in detail, the therapeutic tasks necessary for each phase. This model makes clear the significant parallels and distinctions between the processes of therapy and abuse. These processes are discussed throughout the text to ensure that therapy will be a healing rather than a harmful experience. The volume presents information about the frequency of male sexual victimization, the impact of this victimization on the individual, primary differences between male and female victimization, and the issues victims typically bring into therapy. The four-phase treatment model for male survivors and the therapeutic tasks of each stage is then addressed. This model serves as a framework for presenting specific therapeutic interventions. Chapters examine such areas as the essential processes that pertain to all therapeutic modalities (individual, group, etc.) when treating male survivors of sexual abuse; contracting with clients, assessment guidelines, and methods of evaluation; individual therapy with male survivors; a two-stage group treatment model for male survivors, which discusses contraindications for group treatment, screening criteria, general ground rules for the group, and effective interventions; critical issues in treating male survivors, including engagement strategies, therapeutic impasses, and client/therapist gender dynamics; and the therapeutic process as it applies to adolescent male survivors, with particular emphasis on how treatment must be carefully tailored to the developmental needs of this group. Included are guidelines for working with adolescents and several interventions that contributors have successfully used with this population. Since working extensively with abuse survivors can exact significant personal costs, the book provides important self-care strategies for therapists to incorporate into their work and lives and discusses seven ways in which to recognize and manage counter-transference. The volume also contains a highly comprehensive list of written, video, and training resources that will provide therapists with numerous avenues to expand their clinical practice and knowledge, as well as seven appendices that include the DES Questionnaire and the Dean Adolescent Inventory Scale. Opening the Door will be an invaluable resource for all mental health practitioners who help male victims of sexual abuse to transcend survivorship and learn to live healthy, productive, and vital lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106065 in Books
• Published on: 1995-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 214 pages

Customer Reviews

excellent resource for clinicans working with abused males
This book is a great handbook for clinicians who are working with male survivors of sexual abuse. It is a rare find, which addresses issues specifically for a male survivor population. The approach is an trans-theoretical one, which focuses on techniques to implement at the different stages of therapy. It is easy to read and to follow. There are even parts of the book which I have shared with my patients for psychoeducational purposes. A must for people working in this field!

A lay-person's perspective
First, I feel I must be clear so as not to mislead anyone. I am not male, nor have I ever suffered the particular pain of sexual or physical abuse. My interest in this book was chiefly as research for my writing. That said, I did read the full body of the text. As a reader and writer whose interest is not professional but rather more personal, for research, I have found this book surprisingly accessible. There are too few books out there covering the topic of male victimization, and the particular problems it can present in therapy.

The text is organized in such a way that I was able to find what I was looking for quickly and easily. It is smoothly written, so that a person not familiar with most medical jargon will not be lost. It presents an analysis of the therapeutic approach, breaking down recovery into four frequently overlapping stages, and includes helpful discussion of various techniques a therapist may employ. As a person who has been through therapy on the receiving end, it was fascinating to read more about the treatment aspect of things.

As to whether this book would be helpful for practicing therapists, I'm not really qualified to say. The list of resources at the back, and the examples of various assessment tools and exercises for clients, were extensive. I personally would have liked to read more in depth about the specific techniques, but I suspect that could just as easily be due to my own lack of training and expertise in this field.

I found this book helpful in some ways to my own therapeutic process, from the standpoint that I can better understand some of the specific purposes and goals my counselor has had for me, but of which I wasn't clearly conscious. It may also be helpful for a person who is dealing with loved ones who don't understand the therapeutic process; the book will definitely give you some concrete vocabulary to better express, in general terms, what you're trying to do in therapy.

In my (untrained) opinion, I feel the book gives a good overview of the topic, covering most populations in enough depth that at the very least, it is a starting point. I'm not sure how much use this text would be to someone who'd been working with these populations for a long time, but for somebody just starting out, or for the therapist looking for resources, this is a book to take a look at.