title: Beyond attachment: psychotherapy with a sexually abused teenager.
abstract: When children are abused they utilize strategies already in place to cope with stress. These strategies develop during early life within the family and may be part of the unconscious framework formed within attachments and relationships. The case presented illustrates a teen-aged girl who was the victim of sexual abuse and experienced depression, PTSD and substance abuse. This paper describes the psychodynamic psychotherapy used to examine the patient's coping skills, which predated the abuse, and how these coping mechanisms were used to ameliorate her symptoms.
authors: CBLAdams@bellsouth.net
authors: Christine B L
authors: CB
authors: Adams
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007207:Individuation; D009769:Object Attachment; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D059020:Suicidal Ideation