Bridget Holyfield-Moss and Komanduri S Murty*

Fort Valley State University, Georgia

*Corresponding Author: Komanduri S Murty, Fort Valley State University, Georgia.

Received: June 22, 2021; Published: July 19, 2021

Abstract

The complexity of prevalent Intrafamilial Childhood Sexual Abuse (ICSA) in society often induces its victims to seek counseling to manage the abreactions that may have rooted in their earlier abuse. Professional counselors listen to stories of abuse to assist those victims in reasoning their personal violence. The study participants included 12 Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC’s) in the State of Georgia ranging in ages from 25 to 55 years. Utilizing the data triangulation method: (1) face-to-face interviews were conducted with all participants via a semi-structured questionnaire; (2) a focus group interview was held; and (3) the collection of artifacts was employed. Once the interview data were transcribed and coded, five emerging themes and twelve subthemes were derived—(1) Professional Reflections with subthemes of challenges, successes, emotions, and self- care; (2) Professional Development with subthemes of training and supervision; (3) Trauma with subthemes of multiple definitions, intergenerational abuse, and re-victimization; (4) Presenting Problems with a subtheme of cooccurring disorder; and, (5) Counseling Interventions with subthemes of theoretical orientation, creative arts therapy, mindfulness, EMDR (Eye, Movement, Desensitization and Reprocessing), group therapy—as mental health counselors’ lived experiences within the context of working with victims of ICSA. Suggestions for counseling practice; counselor education and supervision; and recommendations for future research in the area of ICSA for the benefit of those working with this population are provided.

Keywords: Intrafamilial Childhood Sexual Abuse; Focus Groups; Social Artifacts; Mental Health; Phenomenological Study

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Citation

Citation: Bridget Holyfield-Moss and Komanduri S Murty. “Mental Health Counselors’ Experiences with Intrafamilial Childhood Sexual Abuse (ICSA)Victims: An Application of Transcendental Phenomenology Reduction Model". Acta Scientific Women's Health 3.8 (2021): 16-26.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2021 Bridget Holyfield-Moss and Komanduri S Murty. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.