Individual And Group Therapy

The first aspect refers to the abused child’s need for an attachment figure, which has been abused in the past. This can result in withdrawal, a sense of abandonment and, eventually, loss of trust (Strehlow, 2009). The second aspect refers to how the child adapts his/her sexual behavior from the traumatic incident where “shame and guilt are important themes” (Strehlow, 2009, 172). Either the child avoids sexual interactions and contact or encourages them (Strehlow, 2009). This is because, in the past, “the child often has no other option than to assimilate his/her need for tenderness to the adult’s passionate sexual needs,” (Strehlow, 2009, 172) and sees nothing beyond meeting these needs of the adult so that “its own needs as
A blend of both, individual and group therapy, will benefit the clients. Not only will the therapy process be designed to meet their unique circumstances, personalities and culture, but will also grant them the opportunity to practice their acquired social skills in the comfort of a group consisting of people who share similar traumatic life experiences in an entirely non-sexual environment. Being able to organize their thoughts and emotions and verbalize them will give them a new sense of freedom of expression, communication and a sense of accomplishment to boost their self-esteem and
The therapist has to be competent at an interdisciplinary level, possessing a clear understanding of the various developmental stages of language, speech, behavior, emotions, motor and cognitive functions in children. The therapist also has to be patient with the client to overcome withdrawal and other unhealthy behavioral patterns. He or she should be willing and able to change the course of therapy by building awareness to the frequently changing needs of the client. To achieve such awareness, the therapist has to ensure reflexivity in the therapy process at all times. The information pertaining to the client’s life experiences, trauma and treatment should be kept confidential unless the client and caregiver grant permission. This would be more difficult to achieve in a group music therapy