Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violence
With the prevalence of sexual violence in most countries and its increase in Sweden, it is important to understand the development of secondary traumatic reactions among professionals who work with sexually violated clients. The aim of this study was to describe the meaning of therapists’ personal e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2422141 |
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| author | Charlotta von Mentzer Gun I Rembeck Helena Dahlberg Åsa Premberg |
| author_facet | Charlotta von Mentzer Gun I Rembeck Helena Dahlberg Åsa Premberg |
| author_sort | Charlotta von Mentzer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With the prevalence of sexual violence in most countries and its increase in Sweden, it is important to understand the development of secondary traumatic reactions among professionals who work with sexually violated clients. The aim of this study was to describe the meaning of therapists’ personal experiences when treating survivors of sexual violence. We conducted a qualitative interview study of therapists in Sweden (N = 11) using thematic analysis and adding a phenomenological openess towards the phenomenon. The participants were all women, with different professional backgrounds and with further education in areas such as psychotherapy, sexology, trauma treatment, and forensic nursing. The essential meaning of their work could be described as a continuum where therapists were seeking balance between contradictory experiences, further described in four themes. They experienced their work as highly meaningful, and the use of self-care strategies helped to maintain protective boundaries. However, the incomprehensible violence they were indirectly exposed to, challenged their protective boundaries, thus causing negative reactions for the therapists. Increased understanding of the impact of work on therapists’ professional and private lives is crucial, and the need for therapists to have a model or framework of meaning and explanation for sexual violence that ties contradictory experiences together. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ce856b4645c46eaa3666d368c74c4b7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1748-2623 1748-2631 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ce856b4645c46eaa3666d368c74c4b72024-12-13T15:19:03ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being1748-26231748-26312024-12-0119110.1080/17482631.2024.24221412422141Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violenceCharlotta von Mentzer0Gun I Rembeck1Helena Dahlberg2Åsa Premberg3Regional HealthRegion Västra GötalandUniversity of GothenburgUniversity of GothenburgWith the prevalence of sexual violence in most countries and its increase in Sweden, it is important to understand the development of secondary traumatic reactions among professionals who work with sexually violated clients. The aim of this study was to describe the meaning of therapists’ personal experiences when treating survivors of sexual violence. We conducted a qualitative interview study of therapists in Sweden (N = 11) using thematic analysis and adding a phenomenological openess towards the phenomenon. The participants were all women, with different professional backgrounds and with further education in areas such as psychotherapy, sexology, trauma treatment, and forensic nursing. The essential meaning of their work could be described as a continuum where therapists were seeking balance between contradictory experiences, further described in four themes. They experienced their work as highly meaningful, and the use of self-care strategies helped to maintain protective boundaries. However, the incomprehensible violence they were indirectly exposed to, challenged their protective boundaries, thus causing negative reactions for the therapists. Increased understanding of the impact of work on therapists’ professional and private lives is crucial, and the need for therapists to have a model or framework of meaning and explanation for sexual violence that ties contradictory experiences together.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2422141sexual trauma therapistsexual violence survivorsecondary traumatizationqualitative researchthematic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Charlotta von Mentzer Gun I Rembeck Helena Dahlberg Åsa Premberg Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violence International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being sexual trauma therapist sexual violence survivor secondary traumatization qualitative research thematic analysis |
| title | Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violence |
| title_full | Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violence |
| title_fullStr | Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violence |
| title_short | Seeking balance between contradictory experiences - therapists treating survivors of sexual violence |
| title_sort | seeking balance between contradictory experiences therapists treating survivors of sexual violence |
| topic | sexual trauma therapist sexual violence survivor secondary traumatization qualitative research thematic analysis |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2422141 |
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