Even from a Broken Web

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. 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.