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The impact of child sexual abuse on the adult couple relationship: the perspective of the survivor attending for therapy at an Irish Rape Crisis Centre

McClean, Suzanne (2020) The impact of child sexual abuse on the adult couple relationship: the perspective of the survivor attending for therapy at an Irish Rape Crisis Centre. Doctor of Psychotherapy thesis, Dublin City University.

Abstract
This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA), with specific regard to their experience of the impact of CSA on their adult couple relationships. A precise account of the prevalence of CSA is unachievable, as many incidences remain unreported. However, its undeniably high prevalence suggests that psychotherapeutic practitioners will benefit from achieving a heightened awareness of how CSA impacts on the lives of clients and on their adult couple relationships. This study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyze themes identified following in-depth interviews with ten adult survivors of CSA who were attending therapy at an Irish community-based rape crisis centre. Four master themes emerged; Protecting Myself from Emotional Pain, Reliving the Abusive Cycle, Living with the Burden of the Past and Discovering My Strengths. IPA was deemed an appropriate choice of research approach, in consideration of the silence and voicelessness often experienced by survivors of CSA. The concept of giving voice to these participants regarding their couple relationships, was at the foreground of this study, and therefore these findings have firsthand, authentic implications for therapeutic practice, both in individual and couple psychotherapy settings. By exploring both strengths and challenges in the relationships of CSA survivors, a deeper understanding of associated adverse lived experiences was achieved, while at the same time illuminating possible positive and constructive outcomes.
Metadata
Item Type:Thesis (Doctor of Psychotherapy)
Date of Award:March 2020
Refereed:No
Supervisor(s):Moore, Gerard and McMahon, Aisling
Uncontrolled Keywords:adult survivor; sexual abuse;psychotherapy; phenomenology
Subjects:Medical Sciences > Mental health
Medical Sciences > Psychology
Social Sciences > Communication
Social Sciences > Social psychology
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Nursing and Human Sciences
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. View License
ID Code:24153
Deposited On:09 Apr 2020 09:43 by Gerard Moore . Last Modified 09 Apr 2020 09:43
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