The Impact of Sexual Abuse Treatment on the Social Work Clinician

A growing body of literature exists on the prevalence and psychological sequelae of sexual abuse and its treatment. However, less attention has been focused on the experience of clinicians who treat these clients. This article uses the concept of vicarious traumatization (McCann and Pearlman, 1990a) to describe the impact this work may have on the social work clinician. The issues addressed include the impact of the work on the clinician's world-view and the possibility that there is a grief process as clinicians come to terms with their exposure to traumatic material. Implications of this reaction and suggestions to alleviate the detrimental effects arc addressed.