Working with victims of abuse

[cringe dragon]

I have an interest in working with men and women who have suffered abuse.  An exact protocol is impossibe since each person and each situation will be different but I have come up with a basic blueprint.  Every session would have to be under the direct supervision and in the presence of their counselor (whatever level it may be).  But basically the blueprint is:1st Session:  Just a short relaxed meeting with a barrier between (desk, table etc.) us.2nd Session:  Another meeting without the barrier.3rd Session:  A session of either seated or acupressure.4th Session:  A session of reflexology.5th Session:  A basic shiatsu protocol.6th Session:  A fully clothed table massage similiar to a seated session.7th Session:  A modified sports session with some basic strokes and stretches where they can remain dressed.8th thru.... :  A series of progressive swedish massages.Of course the pace and numbers of each would depend entirely with the patient and the counselor.  Through this whole process I would be strictly a tool used by the counselor and they remain in control and have to be present for every session.  So far I have discussed this with a few different counselors, both experienced counselors and soon to be graduating students, and have received positive feedback but no one has been  interested enough to further pursue it.  How would you charge for this type of work?  Payment from the patient or from the counselor?  Reduce your fee and if so by how much?Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[gsquared]

 I have had some training and experience in working with victims of abuse. I also have past experience of being abused, which is probably why I draw many clients with a similar background. I understand that it is very popular on the West coast to combine bodywork with counselling for those with multiple personality disorder. It can indeed be a very powerful combination. The primary consideration is the client's safety. The client must be assured that he/she is in control of the session at all times. That means that if he says to stop, you STOP immediately and remove your hands! The client also dictates the pace and type of hands-on work that is done. I would be very hesitant to start off with acupressure, reflexology or shiatsu unless the client was familiar with it and gives the okay. Finger pressure can feel very intrusive to someone who has been abused. I would even suggest that a seated fully clothed massage might be a good starting point if there has been sexual abuse, as lying on a table may trigger abuse issues. Think about it....your client is lying on a table and you are standing over him/her, which psychologically implies that you have power over the client, when what you are trying to do is to re-empower him/her. Be alert to body language also, as your client may be too frightened to speak up at first. If you feel any tension or you sense that the person is "leaving their body", stop and check in with them immediately.  Make sure the client is comfortable with having the counselor in the massage room, and also make sure that the counselor is comfortable with being there. Check with the counselor first to be certain that they are aware of what effect bodywork can have on someone with a history of abuse. One of my massage school classmates had an abuse history that she had totally blocked from memory, and when we began the hands-on classes it all came flooding back at once. She had two serious car accidents because she was having major flashbacks on the way home from school, and finally had a major physical and psychological crisis on the table during class one night. She had to drop out of school because it was too overwhelming for her.  The work can be very rewarding indeed. I would suggest some specialized training for you if this is something you'd like to pursue. I took an excellent workshop from Ben Benjamin, who is one of the most experienced teachers of this work on the East coast. The more you know about the subject, the better you will be able to handle any situations that arise. The client may wish to talk to you about any memories that come up, so you need to be very grounded emotionally and you need to be fully focused on the client and aware of physical changes, changes in breathing, etc. Your presence and compassion as well as considerate touch can help bring great healing to those for whom touch may have been torture, and to help them come back into their bodies again.  One more thing....if you tend to like to be in control of what happens in a session, you might want to rethink getting into working with abuse victims. This work requires a great deal of flexibility from the practitioner. Sometimes a person may have no trouble with being touched on the leg one week and the next time can't stand it because something has come up in the interim.  Hope that helps...good luck to you if you decide to pursue this type of work!