Women's Narratives of Healing from the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse

socio-cultural and political context of their lives. What needs to be considered is the relationship
of abuse to the broader structural relationships of power. By considering CSA
in this context, it is then possible to address the danger of perpetrating structural violence
in the research process by critically considering and addressing power inequalities
and practices.
There has been considerable research on therapeutic interventions for working with
women who were sexually abused in childhood, but little research on the healing process
from a life perspective. In the feminist therapy literature on working with women who
have been sexually abused in childhood, it is recommended that the therapist: has a
solid understanding of the theory and practice required; allows the client time to explore
issues; supports the woman in making changes; and is encouraging. 5,49 It is believed that
relationships, and especially relationships that are non-judgmental, have been found to
be key to women’s healing, and that the most important elements for healing include the
experience of safety, telling the story, and (re)building a connection between the women and
their community. Treatment needs to be responsive to the individual, and not dependent
on any particular theory, indicating the need for theoretical diversity.
Memory and remembering child sexual abuse is a broad topic that includes discussion
on how memory works. Edward Casey’s analysis of memory 8 in relation to child sexual
abuse will be used as a basis for analysis. There is a broad multi-disciplinary literature
on the body. In a discussion on the body as a tool for analyzing cultural constructs
related to health and well-being, I consider my findings in light of Lock and Scheper-
Hughes’s description of the three bodies: the individual, the social and the political. 19
This approach provides a conceptual approach for a phenomenological investigation of
healing from sexual abuse, making it possible to recognize power, gender and violence.
Hacking’s language of the soul 7 will be used interchangeably with ‘self’ in this document
to convey the non-unitary subjective ‘self’ that is the body.
The nature of the sexual abuse of children is such that it occurs to, in and of the child’s
body in a personal, social and political context. In order to research the adult’s healing
process from child sexual abuse, it is imperative that power relationships are considered,
and that the body is not neglected.
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