Madison Mental Health Counseling
Abuse Help
What is abuse and trauma?
How can counseling help abuse or trauma victims?
What is domestic abuse and how does it affect people?
How does childhood abuse affect adult survivors?
What help is available for rape and sexual assault victims?
What is abuse and trauma?
Abuse is any behavior (physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual) that is
used to gain power over another person. It involves a misuse of power
in order to hurt another person or persons, usually to enable the person
to get their way. Feeling power over another person can be the sole motivator
for abuse. When abusive behavior overwhelms the ability to cope, psychological
trauma results.
Abuse and violence are epidemic problems in our society. My experience
and training enable me to assess and provide counseling for those clients
who have abuse of any kind in their history or their present experience.
Abuse can result in psychological trauma when the ability to cope is overwhelmed.
Some abuse and trauma experiences result in the development of Post-traumatic
Stress Disorder. If you are wondering whether you are experiencing Post-traumatic
Stress Disorder, you can go to the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
article to see a list of symptoms.
Common forms of trauma I provide counseling for:
- Domestic Abuse
- Adult survivors of childhood physical, emotional, or
sexual abuse or neglect
- Rape and other forms of Sexual Assault
I can also work with psychological trauma that results from non-abuse related sources, which can also overwhelm people psychologically. Examples are:
- Natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.)
- War
- Health Crises
How can counseling help abuse or trauma victims?
Both abuse trauma and other traumas respond to counseling which reduces
or eliminates the effects of the past on the present by learning how to:
- develop tolerance for and manage emotions
- transform negative beliefs about the self
- learn new patterns of behavior
- grieve the abuse or trauma experience
- increase ability to accept and let go of the past
As a psychotherapist, I have been trained in therapies that research
has proven to be highly effective with trauma recovery, such as:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy – this therapy helps the individual
change behavior and thought patterns
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – this therapy
is useful in reducing trauma symptoms
What is Domestic Abuse and how does it affect people?
The root of all these types of abuse is the desire to control another
person. If you believe you or another person is in a controlling relationship,
you might find it helpful to look over the Controlling
Behaviors Checklist, located on the Counseling Articles page.
For those affected by controlling partners, it is very important for you
to know that you are not alone.
- You’re not alone because this is epidemic in our society (for
more information see the Department of Justice link on the Counseling
Resources page)
- You’re not alone because there are people who are concerned and
helpful resources that are available (see Survivor
services on the Counseling Resources page)
Common effects of experiencing controlling behavior include:
- confusion over what has happened and why
- battered self-esteem
- grief
- loss of trust in self
- difficulties setting healthy boundaries
- flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive memories
- anger
- uncertainty over what to do next
Counseling that is specific to the effects of controlling behavior can
be very helpful. That is why I developed the Women’s Voices program
for women affected by controlling behavior and abuse. I named my program
Women’s Voices because I heard over and over the theme of women “losing”
their voices and their sense of who they are. Women’s Voices counseling
assists women in finding their voices and healing. There is no pressure
to leave a partner nor are there preconceived notions of what is best
for any woman. I developed a curriculum of materials for women in 1991
and use those materials in both individual and group counseling.
I work with individuals to decide whether individual or group counseling
will best meet their needs. I have found that group therapy can be very
empowering for those affected by abuse. The Women’s Voices group
is a 20 session structured group that offers support, cognitive behavioral
tools, and experiential exercises, all designed to address the most common
issues facing survivors of intimate partner abuse. Since group is not
the therapy of choice for everyone, this program is also available in
individual sessions.
If you recognize characteristics of controlling behavior in yourself,
abuse help is available. There are psychotherapists that compassionately
help you to take charge of changing how you’ve learned to be in relationships.
I believe that people learn to be controlling and abusive, that nothing
justifies abusive behavior, and that everyone who chooses to hold them
selves accountable and learn new behavior can make changes.
I believe that you will benefit from investing in yourself and choosing
to end the cycle of abuse in your family. I would be happy to direct you
to appropriate counselors and programs for this type of work, or you can
access this information through the Domestic Abuse – Abuser Treatment
link on the Counseling Resources page.
How does childhood abuse affect adult survivors?
Many adults carry baggage from childhood abuse experiences that affects
their current relationships and work. Even though adults may have developed
many useful strengths in coping with these experiences, they may also
find the past overshadows the present in one or more of the following
ways:
- being extremely passive in personal or work relationships or very
aggressive and irritable (or both, depending upon the situation)
- experiencing depression without a present cause or stressor
- having a low self-esteem and lack of confidence
- experiencing panic attacks
- experiencing a general feeling of anxiety most of the time
- feeling empty inside
- uncertainty about what to do
- difficulty knowing feelings
Abuse can take many forms:
- physical abuse
- verbal abuse
- emotional abuse
- sexual abuse
- physical or emotional neglect
Childhood neglect is often an unidentified and misunderstood occurrence.
Psychotherapists and researchers agree that neglect is actually more psychologically
devastating than physical forms of abuse. This is because it affects the
ability to attach and to know the self through mirroring by other important
people. Other forms of abuse often occur with neglect.
What help is available for rape and sexual assault
victims?
Rape and sexual assault or harassment victims benefit from the same types
of therapy used for other forms of abuse. Talking to a counselor as soon
as possible can help:
- to stop re-living the trauma mentally
- promote attention to any safety concerns
- reduce the possibility of post-traumatic stress disorder
- validate the rights of the assaulted person
- reinforce positive beliefs about the self
- reduce self-blame
- transform helplessness to empowerment
Counseling for sexual assault that occurred in the past is also very
important. Many who have not had support or help at the time of the assault
find that it continues to haunt their present in some of the following
ways:
- Low self-esteem
- Difficulty with sexual relationships
- Shame, self-blame
- Panic attacks and/or anxiety
- Depression
As a psychotherapist, I provide individual, group and relationship counseling
for all forms of abuse. My office is located in Madison WI, at 406 N.
Pinckney Street. Please call 608-255-8838, ext. 6 for an appointment.
406 N. Pinckney Street Madison Wisconsin 53703-1410
Phone: 608-255-8838 ext. 6
jennifer@madisonmentalhealthcounselor.com
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