Therapy and Healing
Working with clients who have experienced harm can be very demanding, in its Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions, the BACP [1] defines resilience as ‘the capacity to work with the client’s concerns without being personally diminished’ This is something I particularly consider as Co-ordinator for the Circles South East Counselling team, an award winning volunteer base who work with Survivors of sexual harm, [2] and in other parts of the charity with offenders to reduce the instances of sexual offending. We only see offending clients in the counselling service when their offending is linked to their own unresolved trauma and sexual abuse.
In order to work ethically with clients who have experienced sexual harm we need to be emotionally equipped and professionally competent, this means we should consider our own approach, opinions, and wellbeing. Many of us come to counselling as ‘wounded healers’[3]. If there may be parallel process, you need to have worked through your own experiences very thoroughly, before taking on a client with similar issues. It may also be useful to think about our attachment style, and if it shifts when we are experiencing emotional stress, and how this may impact your client.
[2]www.circlessoutheast.org.uk
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_healer