Sarah's Story: Using Ritual Therapy to Address Psychospiritual Issues in Treating Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Abstract

“Sarah's” story is a true account of one individual's healing from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse through counseling, spiritual growth, and the use of therapeutic ritual. The article explores the relationship between the psychospiritual issues associated with childhood sexual abuse and commonly designated treatment goals. Addressing psychospiritual issues is shown to be the key to achieving assimilation and healing. Ritual therapy is suggested as a method for helping clients accomplish this task through the discovery of metameaning. A description of Sarah's therapeutic ritual is offered as a model for treatment design, and its efficacy in Sarah's case is evaluated.