With compassion and wisdom born of vast clinical experience, Eliana Gil's new book offers practical, step-by-step guidance for mental health professionals, demonstrating how they can communicate and work more effectively with adolescents who have suffered from abuse. Her book describes the impact of abuse on development, shows how "acting out" can be understood as a bid for attention and help, and details specific ways a therapist can overcome obstacles in treatment.

Preceded by: Treating sexually abused children and their nonoffending parents: a cognitive behavioral approach / Esther Deblinger, Anne Hope Heflin. c1996.

This workbook was written to promote a standard in the field for clinicians to increase confidence, competence, and effectiveness in addressing child sexual abuse and trauma treatment with children, adolescents, and young adults with developmental disabilities. The workbook is divided into two parts: the first part is focused on research and education regarding trauma treatment, developmental disabilities, and a module for treatment within this population, while the second part of the workbook presents examples of interventions, worksheets, and therapeutic activities for use with clients. Disorders such as Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Nonverbal Learning Disorder, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Effects are reviewed in this manual. Additionally, motor, communication, sensory, and feeding problems are briefly discussed. This manual is not intended to provide detailed information on all developmental disabilities but rather provide a general overview of more common developmental disorders to increase understanding of assessment and treatment interventions discussed. It is intended for use with individuals with a moderate to high functioning level.The workbook can be used as a guide for masters and doctoral-level clinicians who are either licensed or are in training and under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional. It will also be a valuable resource for researchers, scholars, special educators, counselors, social workers, and professionals who work with sexual abuse survivors.

The treatment of sexually abused children between the ages of 7 and 12 present a unique clinical challenge. These victims are in the developmental phase of latency where post-traumatic discomfort and internal conflict are often manifested in self-destructive, sexually inappropriate, and aggressive behavior toward adults and peers. Often unresponsive to interventions that require direct verbal communication, these children need special therapeutic approaches to master feelings of shame, helplessness, responsibility, anger, and sadness, which are concomitant with sexual abuse and disclosure. Group treatment has been shown to be an important component of healing for these children. This volume is the first book on the treatment of sexual abuse that is devoted exclusively to a group treatment approach. GROUP TREATMENT FOR SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN considers the impact of sexual molestation and disclosure on latency-aged children and provides a step-by-step guide to a comprehensive program for victims and their non-offending caretakers. Establishing a therapeutic framework that enables both children and adults to deal with anxiety producing material, themes addressed in a sequence of progressive difficulty. More than a description of a program, this manual offers actual interventions to be used with children and their non-offending caretakers, including guidelines for anticipating and responding therapeutically to expected resistances. The structured curriculum, which consists of ten modules, presents a variety of activities that assist children and adults to begin to identify and express their conflicts and feelings. Each module delineates the Purpose, Objectives, Therapeutic Considerations, Activities and Treatment Challenges for children and their caretakers. Each activity for children incorporates group topics for the caretakers' group which parallel the material presented in the children's group. This approach integrates the treatment, increasing the likelihood of a successful experience for the children. Illustrative case examples are offered to demonstrate how children and adults respond to the activities. Unique features of this program include its attention to the important developmental tasks for children as well as the sequelae of sexual molestation; its respect for the ways in which boys and girls respond differently to sexual trauma; and its inclusion of over 40 original handouts for children and caretakers which may be photocopied for use in your practice. An ideal resource, the structure and variety of original materials in this outstanding volume provide direction and focus for all therapists who are dedicated to the recovery of sexually abused children and their families. Further, many of the handouts are useful for individual and family treatment and, with some modifications, can also be used in work with adolescents. As an added convenience, all the forms in this manual may be photocopied for use in your practice

"Highly recommended for expert and beginner alike. It is well written, well organized, easy to read, and packed with useful information." -- Child Abuse & Neglect "This book represents a milestone in expanding the resource base for professionals working in the child abuse field." -- Journal of Child and Family Studies