Transforming Trauma: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

by Anna C. Salter

A scholar and clinician of great courage, wisdom, and empathy, Anna C. Salter has written an outstanding book. Pulling together diverse research and theory, she challenges unexamined assumptions and routine interventions. She has created a thoughtful, practical guide that deserves to be on every clinician′s bookshelf. --Ken Pope, Ph.D., ABPP, Private Practice, Los Angeles, and author of Sexual Involvement with Therapists "Highly recommended. Contents include sadistic versus nonsadistic offenders; effects of child sexual abuse; victim thinking, links between offender and victim apology, and forgiveness managing chronic pain." --Family Violence & Sexual Assault Bulletin Book Club How does trauma affect the worldview of victims? What are the steps of therapy for adult survivors? How do sadistic and nonsadistic sex offenders think differently, and what are the different footprints they leave on the psyche of survivors? And how can trauma be transformed, not just endured? If you′re working with adult survivors of child sexual abuse and child sex offenders, these are some of the questions that you must address. Anna C. Salter extends the way in which victimology is construed in this milestone volume, using clinical illustrations as well as an empathetic approach. At the same time practical, accessible, and scientific, this book also introduces new concepts, such as "benign transformation" and "malignant competition" and provides a thorough discussion of affective flashbacks and triggers. Transforming Trauma is an essential resource for all professionals and advanced students working with adult survivors of child sexual abuse and child sex offenders. "A fascinating text on the treatment of adult sexual abuse survivors. . . . Building on the insights of Treating Child Sex Offenders and Victims, Dr. Salter refines what we know and provides new tools and perspectives. This new book constantly acknowledges the micro and macro social environments in which the abuse occurred and the survivor lives, and incorporates this awareness into therapeutic theory and practice. . . . This is an important book, and our field is exceedingly lucky to have it." --from the Foreword by John N. Briere "With Transforming Trauma, Anna C. Salter establishes a milestone in the expanding consciousness of sexual victimization. . . . Until now, we have dared look only at pieces of the victimization picture puzzle, like gathering corners, frames, and central clusters without risking the difficult moves that would integrate the several fragments into a coherent picture. Transforming Trauma puts these pieces together." --from the Foreword by Roland C. Summit.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Aka Anna Salter

Anna Salter, Ph.D., is a forensic psychologist and internationally known authority on sex offenders. She is the author of novels featuring Dr. Michael Stone. She also lectures worldwide and has written two academic books on sex abuse. Dr. Salter is in private practice in Madison, Wisconsin, and consults to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

Reviews

[Ellis Amdur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna Salter is one of the few clinicians who works with and assesses both victims and perpetrators of abuse. I would recommend skipping or skimming the two wordy forwards by other clinicians. The first section, on the behaviors of perpetrators, is marvelous. You will get accurate research and descriptions on what perps actually do – not what they say to minimize or excuse their violations. This section will be valuable for members of the criminal justice system as well as therapists of survivors who must understand perpetrators to understand victims. The second section, on the experience of victims is also excellent. I find the last chapter, on treatment of victims, to have much very valuable general information on therapy, but I have two rather significant disagreements.

1. I am very wary of any therapy model that uses the idea, much less encourages the victim to see themselves as speaking in various “voices” – the ‘guardian,’ the ‘sadistic abuser.’ All to often, this encourages the suggestible patient in self-hypnosis and can end up creating more pathology, particularly dissociative identity disorders (so-called multiple personality disorder).

2. I have found that therapy is most effective when one assists the patient in experiencing how different they are from who they believe they are. Rather than just an experience of ‘acceptance,’ or ‘safety within the therapy,’ I have found victims become survivors fastest when they learn how to survive. This accomplished, they are far more able and ready to reorganize themselves in relation to their traumatic experiences. In particular, patients who learn how to fight, including self-defense, and even the use of weapons, learned from a seasoned instructor who is familiar with kind of dilemmas that survivors of sexual abuse must live with, is invaluable. For many, one cannot consider oneself healed until one clearly knows that an attempt by another to violate them again will be dealt with differently from when they were helpless.

In short, I loved more than half the book, and I have reservations about the other half.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent professional resource. I pick it up constantly. One of the very few that discusses differences between survivors of sadistic perpetrators v the more common grooming predator. Even though there are fewer survivors of sadists, they need help, and among the wonderful guidance is a brief outline for differentiating between the types of victims. The older I get, the more important this difference seems to me, and this is one of the very few resources that even mentions how these victims can get lost if we don't meet their unique needs and different ways of coping. I do hope someone is taking a deep interest in this work and furthering it. Anna Salter is a gem to the trauma community, and anyone treating trauma survivors should read this book more than a few times.

[Kate Woods Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a textbook, essential reading for those in the business of transforming their own trauma, or the trauma of others. Anna Salter is a particularly empathetic teacher--and a particularly self-aware one--who recognizes and battles the unfortunate human tendency to blame the victim.