Treating Patients with Memories of Abuse: Legal Risk Management

One of the most litigious areas of practice in psychology today involves the treatment of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse - particularly patients who recover memories while in treatment. This volume advises practitioners on therapeutic strategies and interventions that help to heal these vulnerable patients while minimizing the risk of ethical and legal violations. According to the authors of this volume, ethical therapy is effective therapy. Patients claiming childhood sexual abuse are among the most traumatized of any practitioner's clients, and psychotherapists working with these patients face unique challenges. Some patients are conflicted about what to believe or how to interpret their memories. This volume begins with a presentation of the current knowledge base about memory and the accuracy of recovered memories. The authors then provide a review of ethical and legal challenges that have been made against psychotherapists - both by patients and by the parents of patients - since therapists need to be aware of the types of charges that may be made against them. The volume also analyzes methods currently in use by therapists to aid in memory retrieval (eg. body work, guided imagery) and comments on the extent to which these techniques place therapists at risk for ethical or legal challenges. Therapeutic techniques that have been shown to be both therapeutically sound and ethically acceptable are highlighted throughout. The authors also provide straightforward advice on documentation, language for note-taking and consultation and supervision practices. Written in easy-to-read, non-legalese language, this volume should be valuable reading for any practising psychologist, social worker or psychiatrist who works with patients struggling with recovered memories of abuse.

Scope of the Problem; Liability Risks of Psychotherapists; Scientific Basis of Memory; Risk Management - Diagnose Carefully; Risk Management - Conduct Good Psychotherapy; Documentation, Consultation and Supervision; Public Policy Considerations.