Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Mental Health Professional’s Perspective

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore mental health professionals’ lived experiences treating childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in the southeastern United States. This research uncovers the nuances of the professional’s cognitive, emotional, and professional challenges when treating this vulnerable population. The constructivist theory guided this study which entails understanding the cognitive development stages, cultural contexts, and social interactions. This qualitative study used purposive sampling to recruit 12 licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, and licensed marriage and family therapists that have experienced adverse effects due to their work with CSA survivors. All data collected were derived from semi-structured interviews, analyzed utilizing thematic analysis, and coded using Delve, a qualitative data analysis software. Three themes and 10 subthemes were extracted from data analysis that explored mental health professionals’ lived experiences of emotional exhaustion, effective coping strategies, and efficiency and effective support systems. The results indicated that mental health professionals experience a significant degree of emotional exhaustion, burnout, and vicarious trauma due to treating CSA survivors. These insights contribute to both theory and practice of the development of trauma-informed support in a mental health setting.