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really trust. If such a person is available, it is possible the therapist will agree to them being present for at least the initial interview, therefore providing some comfort.

TRUST AND CONFIDENCE

Faced with a list of therapist, the abuse survivor has taken one more step towards getting the help they need and deserve. However, before that process starts they will have to decide who out of the list is the best therapist for them as an individual. To ado this means that the list they have has to be whittled down by talking to each person named.

Most of us can instinctively tell, within a few minutes of talking to someone, whether we will be able to connect and form a trusting relationship with him or her. In the case of the abuse survivor this task may not be so easy, simply because they have often trusted the person who has abused them. Therefore, there is an inherent difficulty in learning to trust again. However, a competent therapist will be able to immediately take the right steps to help rebuild that trust. A short initial meeting between the abuse survivor and the therapist should enable the survivor to decide whether the necessary comfort and support will be forthcoming. It is the therapist that performs this role best in the eyes and mind of the survivor, who will be the one most suited to their needs.

In the case of a child who has been abused it is important for his or her carer or parent to study the relationship and body language between the child and the therapist during these initial interviews, as this will give some indication of the person the child feels most comfortable and secure with.

An abuse survivor needs all the help they can get to aid them to recover from the traumatic experience they have suffered. Such help may be best served in the form of therapy. However, in order to get the right therapy the survivor will first need to overcome the hurdle of contact, which may best be achieved initially through non physical connection, such as using the Internet or writing. Having surmounted this step, the abuse victim's therapy will only be successful if they find a therapist who has sufficient experience in dealing with the type of abuse that has been suffered and is a person in whom the survivor has full trust and confidence.

Learn more about this author, Paul Lines.
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