Sexual harassment-abuse and psychotherapy: the strenght of therapeutic relathionship

Introduction The term trauma comes from the ancient Greek word “titrosko” than means perforate. Sexual harassment and abuse of a person during childhood is an important risk factor for mental trauma. Objectives Present the impact of sexual harassment and abuse in the mental health of adolescents a...

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Main Authors: C. Moutafi, I. Kalafataki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2022-06-01
Series:European Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822019253/type/journal_article
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author C. Moutafi
I. Kalafataki
author_facet C. Moutafi
I. Kalafataki
author_sort C. Moutafi
collection DOAJ
description Introduction The term trauma comes from the ancient Greek word “titrosko” than means perforate. Sexual harassment and abuse of a person during childhood is an important risk factor for mental trauma. Objectives Present the impact of sexual harassment and abuse in the mental health of adolescents and the imprortance of therapeutic relationship. Methods From the literature review the child needs love which is demostrated with tenderness. The adult (perpetrator) with a disorder responds to the child’s tenderness with the language of passion. The immature Ego of the child is not strong enough to deal with the adult behavior and this causes anxiety, helplessness, confusion and guilt about the relationship with the adult. During the psychotherapeutic process, 4 main protagonists emerge : the victim, the perpetrator, an absent mother and an omnipotent savior. Results Mental trauma can adversely affect the development of the neurobiological system resulting in difficulty coping with stressful events. Untreated trauma can lead to serious psychopathology such as anxiety disorders , depressive disorder, personality disorders, addictions. The creation of a therapeutic relationship, understanding the adolescent and his family potential, the recognition and treatment of transference-countertransference phenomena and the existence of a clinical setting that acts as a restraint mechanism could contribute to the therapy of mental trauma. Conclusions The Therapeutic Department for Adolescents could be an environment to contain, process and transform the painful into pleasant emotions, as well as aiming the authenticity of the person with a history of sexual harassment and abuse. Disclosure No significant relationships.
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spelling doaj.art-51c995174b2a4379bd4a8b0292509d372023-11-17T05:07:44ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S745S74510.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.1925Sexual harassment-abuse and psychotherapy: the strenght of therapeutic relathionshipC. Moutafi0I. Kalafataki1Child’s Mental Health Center, Department Foradolescents, ATHENS, GreeceChild’s Mental Health Center, Department Foradolescents, ATHENS, Greece Introduction The term trauma comes from the ancient Greek word “titrosko” than means perforate. Sexual harassment and abuse of a person during childhood is an important risk factor for mental trauma. Objectives Present the impact of sexual harassment and abuse in the mental health of adolescents and the imprortance of therapeutic relationship. Methods From the literature review the child needs love which is demostrated with tenderness. The adult (perpetrator) with a disorder responds to the child’s tenderness with the language of passion. The immature Ego of the child is not strong enough to deal with the adult behavior and this causes anxiety, helplessness, confusion and guilt about the relationship with the adult. During the psychotherapeutic process, 4 main protagonists emerge : the victim, the perpetrator, an absent mother and an omnipotent savior. Results Mental trauma can adversely affect the development of the neurobiological system resulting in difficulty coping with stressful events. Untreated trauma can lead to serious psychopathology such as anxiety disorders , depressive disorder, personality disorders, addictions. The creation of a therapeutic relationship, understanding the adolescent and his family potential, the recognition and treatment of transference-countertransference phenomena and the existence of a clinical setting that acts as a restraint mechanism could contribute to the therapy of mental trauma. Conclusions The Therapeutic Department for Adolescents could be an environment to contain, process and transform the painful into pleasant emotions, as well as aiming the authenticity of the person with a history of sexual harassment and abuse. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822019253/type/journal_articlesexual abusesexual harassmenttherapeutic relationshipmental health
spellingShingle C. Moutafi
I. Kalafataki
Sexual harassment-abuse and psychotherapy: the strenght of therapeutic relathionship
European Psychiatry
sexual abuse
sexual harassment
therapeutic relationship
mental health
title Sexual harassment-abuse and psychotherapy: the strenght of therapeutic relathionship
title_full Sexual harassment-abuse and psychotherapy: the strenght of therapeutic relathionship
title_fullStr Sexual harassment-abuse and psychotherapy: the strenght of therapeutic relathionship
title_full_unstemmed Sexual harassment-abuse and psychotherapy: the strenght of therapeutic relathionship
title_short Sexual harassment-abuse and psychotherapy: the strenght of therapeutic relathionship
title_sort sexual harassment abuse and psychotherapy the strenght of therapeutic relathionship
topic sexual abuse
sexual harassment
therapeutic relationship
mental health
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822019253/type/journal_article
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