TOPIC. Toxic Shame and the concomitant fear of feeling are core issues need
ing to be addressed during group therapy with adult survivors of childhood
sexual abuse.
PURPOSE. To increase awareness of the toxic shame that survivors experience
and to describe the impact of group therapy based on a family systems mode
l.
SOURCE. The authors' clinical experiences.
CONCLUSIONS. Symptom management, repatterning of cognitive distortions, and
the improvement of self-care strategies are identified as crucial aspects
of healing shame-based feelings and behaviors. Group treatment offers membe
rs the opportunity to cease reenacting family rules and roles that create t
oxic shame.