Book Description

The terrible emotional aftereffects suffered by victims of sexual abuse are well established and, according to conventional therapeutic wisdom, can only be treated through years of traditional therapy using regression and catharsis. Even from a Broken Web offers an effective alternative for clinicians working with these clients—a solution-oriented approach that is respectful, collaborative, flexible, and, in most cases, mercifully brief. Rather than continually revisiting the past and focusing on the problem, Even from a Broken Web proposes a way for sexual abuse victims to move into the present and the future, escaping repetitive patterns of thinking, perception, feeling, action, and interaction. First outlining the "3-D" aftereffects of sexual abuse: Dissociation, Disowning, and Devaluing, Bill O’Hanlon and Bob Bertolino explain three pathways out of these emotional ruts. First, solution-oriented inner work helps clients rediscover aspects of daily experience they have devalued. By imagining themselves thinking, feeling, and doing things in different ways, clients next create a compelling vision of themselves in the future. The final pathway includes identifying and changing existing patterns of thought and behavior. Each of these pathways enables clients to use and develop strengths, skills, and resources they already possess. Once the client discovers these pathways, the journey to solution can be remarkably swift. The process of discovering these abilities requires therapists to work with clients, as opposed to directing them. The authors provide numerous examples of how to practice solution-oriented therapy with individuals, couples, and groups, and they demonstrate how to apply solution-oriented techniques in a variety of situations.