Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse

Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse

Childhood abuse is behaviour that is not accidental and which is not considered ‘normal’ (outside of norms of conduct). It can be caused by parents, caregivers, other adults or older adolescents. 

Childhood abuse causes a serious risk of physical or emotional harm and often results in long-term consequences for individuals well into adulthood; these effects can be wide-ranging. Clients often report feeling a distorted sense of self and difficulty in creating and maintaining relationships with others. It can often lead to unhealthy coping strategies like self-harm, substance abuse and isolation.

Child abuse behaviours can be intentional or unintentional. They can include acts of omission which mean not doing certain things necessary for the child. They also include commission which means deliberate acts. Children rarely experience only one form of abuse at a time.

It’s also probably more common than we think. That’s because it often goes unreported. It’s often secret. There’s a lot of stigma around it. It’s usually treated with silence. Many children are scared of telling anyone (disclosing). Many don’t disclose. Often, when they do disclose, they’re not believed.

The most common forms of child abuse include:

  • Emotional Abuse

  • Sexual Abuse

  • Neglect and Negligent Treatment

  • Physical Abuse and Family Violence

  • Organised Abuse

Get child abuse support from a therapist who is a survivor of child abuse.

Being a survivor of child abuse, it can be difficult to take the first step of opening up about it. Adults seeking child abuse support is one of the key first steps on the road to recovery. With the help of a compassionate and understanding Gestalt child abuse therapist, you can begin the path to healing.

At the Relational Clinic, our resident Gestalt therapist is Nate Petersen, a PACFA-registered Gestalt psychotherapist and counsellor. Nate himself is a survivor of child abuse. As your child abuse support therapist in Sydney, he can help you work through and integrate these past experiences in a gentle and supportive way that leads to better self-regulation, an improved sense of self, and a feeling of empowerment. This will help you move from being a victim of child abuse to a child abuse survivor and thriver.

Book an appointment

Whether you’re trying to move past unresolved childhood abuse or learning to deal with other traumas, the compassionate team at the Relational Clinic are always willing to do what it takes to help you move forward. With years of real-world, lived psychotherapy experience and a passion for helping people achieve their desired state of body and mind, you can trust us to be your guide in the healing process.

Feel free to contact us to learn more about our services, or book an appointment and begin your journey to integrating and resolving your childhood abuse.

FAQs

  • Nate practises Gestalt and Somatic Experiencing therapy, which can be highly effective in treating childhood abuse. This form of child abuse support helps clients understand and explore their thoughts, feelings, memories, relationships and emotions experientially. This gentle and effective method allows clients to integrate past abuse and traumas in a safe and titrated way.

    Clients often report feeling a new sense of self, empowerment and agency over their lives. They also notice that their perception of events and relationships in the present are no longer tainted by these past experiences, thereby allowing them to move forward and create new meaning in their lives.

  • The length of time it takes to treat child abuse with therapy depends on many factors, including the severity, duration and the people involved in the abuse. The road to recovery often isn't linear and can be complex at times. Generally speaking, people can expect to spend anywhere from a few weeks to several months or longer in treatment.

    Ultimately, the therapist and the client determine the length of a therapy session. A typical therapy session is 50 minutes.

  • Gestalt Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing therapy has been shown to be effective treatment and support aid for adult survivors of child abuse. Successful child abuse support helps clients relate to their past experiences of abuse in new ways. By helping them integrate the full range of repressed and suppressed emotions as well as exploring the negative beliefs formed about themselves, and the world around them, clients are better able to be more present, self-regulated and better able to connect with others in healthy ways.