Working with Maltreated Children
Introduction
Statistics show that a good number of children are faced with major issues. This maltreatment ranges from sexual abuse, labour and beatings among others. They hence are taken to therapists to receive help manage this issues. These counselors make sure that these children get regular and extensive training in noting child abuse, reporting process and legal and ethical duties. They similarly create awareness and prevention programs. The paper will focus on the therapeutic issues that arise while carrying out the program. The program in focus will be from the Argosy University program of Study.
Therapist suffer from emotional reactions as they handle maltreated children. The emotional reactions may include depression, anxiety, and substance misuse among others (Lassri, and Shahar, 2012). This has the effect of bringing to a decline the self-esteem of the therapist and wear down the ability to trust other people. The therapist end up not realizing their self-worth and had big problems in maintaining relationship satisfaction while handling maltreated patients.
Therapists’ reactions can result to blurred lines in their professional duties. The reactions can result to self-disclosure that may end up shifting focus from the client. This can be attributed to connection between the client and the therapist. Another aspect is offering or receiving gifts which is against professional standards (Pearce et al., 2007). This happens so that one can avoid an inferior feeling.
An instance is where a child and I have gone through similar situations of maltreatment from parents, I am bound to suffer from countertransference. This could involve an assumption of knowing how the client is feeling.
It is necessary that therapist have an awareness of their issues and come up with ways to provide effective care to the children. This is since they may get themselves greatly fascinated and invest in the client’ past or they may try to avoid the talk about abuse for personal excuses (Lassri, and Shahar, 2012). The therapists have to maintain professional relationship with strict boundaries and limitations. They have to be trusted and offer a safe relational setting that offers a special chance for healing.
The Argosy University Program of Study (POS) in Counseling Psychology is meant for students with a history of mental health, social work, counseling and psychiatrist nursing. The program assists students with the skills and experience vital in pursuing leadership, supervising, training and teaching. The therapists who work with the maltreated children have to meet certain professional and ethical standards. These standards will guide the practice and comprises professional conduct, knowledge of ethics, legal and professional standards as well as development.
There are two strategies that will help therapist to cope with the population. The first one is there has to be trust. A child who is abused needs a trusting relationship with the therapist. This relationship has to be secure to enable the child explore this relationship. This may similarly call for patience. Another strategy is safety as this will help the child to recover from abuse and other issues that may affect their future safety (Pearce, et al., 2007). The child is helped to internalize the right for safety and get ways to helps the child manage the issues faced in future. The most complicated strategy would be emotional safety as maltreatment of children quite a huge emotional reactions for people of all ages and experience.
Conclusion
Therapists who work with maltreated children are faced with a number of issues in terms of depression and anxiety. Though the profession calls for them to avoid personal issues for them to be effective in their work. The Argosy University Program of Study offers therapists with skills and experience in therapy and how to manage varied issues they would face.
References
Lassri, D., Shahar, G. (2012). Self-criticism mediates the link between childhood emotional maltreatment and young adults’ romantic relationships.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 31(3), 289-311.
Pearce J. W. et al. (2007). Psychotherapy of abused and neglected children. New York: Guilford Press.
