WORKING WITH ADULT CLIENTS WHO MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED CHILDHOOD ABUSE -RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT AND PRACTICE

The delayed memory debate has generated many questions about therapeut ic practices that are likely to be beneficial and detrimental to clien ts. This article proposes components of optimal practice for working w ith adult clients who may have been abused as children. The recommenda tions are organized around the following themes: (a) competence, (b) a ssessment and treatment planning, (c) psychotherapy process and techni que, (d) memory issues, (e) and ethics. The authors emphasize the impo rtance of a collaborative therapeutic relationship and urge clinicians to proceed cautiously when encountering treatment issues for which sc ientific knowledge and consensus are still evolving.