ABSTRACT
The interplay between the trauma experienced by the men and the internal world of the therapist had produced a state of mind that can best be described as vicarious traumatisation. Vicarious traumatisation has been demonstrated to be both a cumulative process, building up over a long period of time through the volume and range of cases being dealt with, while also being brought about very quickly by a single case. K. M. VanDeusen and I. Way’s study into vicarious trauma uncovered a profound impact of the clinical work on therapists’ attitudes towards sex, sexuality, and relationships, with the notion of sexual intimacy becoming tainted by close proximity to those whose experiences of sex had been suffused with trauma. Does working with sexual abuse threaten the stability and health of non-clinicians? Little research has been done into the impact of vicarious trauma on other professionals dealing with issues of sexual abuse outside the clinical sphere.
