Publication Date

2014

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

Human trafficking-Psychological aspects, Sexual abuse victims-Rehabilitation, Post-traumatic stress disorder-Treatment, Sex trafficking, Trauma, Critical interventions, Trauma-informed care, CBT, Qualitative

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates clinician perspectives on the type of clinical interventions used in therapy with sex trafficking survivors. Due to the absence of systematic evaluation of mental health treatment for this population, the limited current research recommends interventions that are used for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. This study's main research question is: what are the perspectives of clinicians who provide therapy for trafficking survivors on the type and usefulness of their treatment interventions? This study interviewed 11 clinicians who provided therapy for sex trafficking survivors. The major findings of this study show that the most commonly used interventions were trauma informed care and cognitive behavioral therapy. Overall, participants used similar interventions with sex trafficked clients as with domestic violence and sexual assault clients. The clinicians interviewed reported that the interventions helped sex trafficking survivors improve self-concept, increase self-awareness, make healthy connections, and develop life skills. Further research needs to be conducted to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.

Language

English

Comments

iv, 79 pages : color illustrations. Thesis (M.S.W.)-Smith College School for Social Work, 2014. Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-71)

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