The long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse are often grossly misunderstood, reportedly, even by those who claim to be experts. Why is this? Because every adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse has a different past, a different present, and an unknown future. The many ways in which an individual is affected by childhood sexual abuse often do not become clear until something, later in life, triggers a response which cannot be wholly explained by current circumstances.
Recognising, identifying, and addressing each psychological wound requires commitment from the adult survivor and the skill, awareness, patience – along with an acceptance that they just might not yet know everything about the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse - of the therapist or counsellor.
The adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse often has as much to offer the therapist, as the therapist has to offer them. It becomes an intense relationship built on mutual trust and the willingness to learn. Tess Dening's story is a personal portrayal of one such journey to healing from childhood sexual abuse. She writes from the heart, unafraid to bare her pain and engage in sometimes brutal honesty, as she takes on the tasks of recognising, identifying, and addressing the atrocious psychological injuries she suffered in childhood.