Proposal for Sexual Assault Support Group
Jose A. Mora Santana
CMHC 550
April 16, 2017
Dr. Clare E. Steffen
Northwest Christian University
Proposal for Sexual Assault Support Group
Sexual assault groups can be the key component to guiding the victims away from the negative self-image. According to Resick 1993, “A wide range of psychological responses to adult sexual assault have been discussed in the literature, including anxiety, depression and sexual/relationship difficulties.” Leaving the victims to fence for them, this often times impairs them to move forward with relationships and relationship trust.
In addition, there is literature where it explains how over the past 15 years, sexual assault has increasingly been conceptualized
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This pattern continues to cycle throughout their lives with little to no change. This new group will incorporate specific interventions like that will target the victims in a more positive form where areas such as depression, anxiety, self-worth, and self-image are the focus of empowerment.
Description of the Group The group will be led by two facilitators experienced with sexual trauma. The setting of the group will be in a rather open space where pictures of women will be posted over the walls. This will allow for the group members to feel safe and welcoming. Little attention has been paid to the research literature to shame as a psychological response the adult sexual assault, despite the relevance of this emotion to trauma adjustment (Lee et al., 2001). The group will provide a self-conscious affect where members can perpetuate trauma via their interpretation along with the salience of the traumatic event.
According to Andrews 1995, there are two pathways that tend to rationalized to the trauma in sexual assault victims. The first one is referred to as “schema congruence,” which arises when the event confirms shame-based beliefs about the self and others (e.g. ‘‘I knew I was useless’’). As a result, the members will understand and process their events from the shame-related and activated schema of their