NCJ Number
149647
Date Published
1994
Length
153 pages
Annotation
Based upon the author's own research and clinical work with emotionally abused women, this book examines the dynamics and consequences of spousal emotional abuse and proposes innovative intervention strategies.
Abstract
The author defines "emotional abuse" as "an ongoing process in which one individual systematically diminishes and destroys the inner self of another." Emotional abuse is achieved as the abuser constantly belittles the essential ideas, feelings, perceptions, and personality characteristics of the victim. Eventually the victim begins to experience these aspects of the self as seriously eroded or absent. This book explores the nature of both overt and covert emotional abuse and proposes a new model for the treatment of emotional abuse. The model has four components: therapeutic stance, therapeutic endeavor, therapeutic modality, and transformation. Therapeutic stance refers to respect for the client's unfolding self. The therapeutic endeavor consists of an empathic connection with the therapist, enhanced recognition and clarification about important abuse components, and a process of working through trauma. The therapeutic modality consists of validation, disattachment, and reintegration. Transformation from victim to survivor is the crucial goal of treatment. The effectiveness of the proposed model has been measured by clients' self-reports, reports of partners, observations by the therapist, and a review of the case records by two independent therapists. 95 references and a subject index