Therapists, of course, bring something to the work they do. Each of us has a unique personal history. Table 6.2 presents national survey results showing therapists’ self-reports of their experiences of various kinds of abuse during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood (Pope & Feldman-Summers, 1992). These results suggest that almost one-third of male therapists and over two-thirds of female therapists have experienced at least one of these forms of abuse over their lifetimes.
Table 6.2. Percentages of Male and Female Therapists Reporting Having Been Abused.
| Type of Abuse | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Abuse during childhood or adolescence | ||
| Sexual abuse by relative | 5.84 | 21.05 |
| Sexual abuse by teacher | 0.73 | 1.96 |
| Sexual abuse by physician | 0.0 | 1.96 |
| Sexual abuse by therapist | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Sexual abuse by nonrelative (other than those previously listed) | 9.49 | 16.34 |
| Nonsexual physical abuse | 13.14 | 9.15 |
| At least one of the above | 26.28 | 39.22 |
| Abuse during adulthood | ||
| Sexual harassment | 1.46 | 37.91 |
| Attempted rape | 0.73 | 13.07 |
| Acquaintance rape | 0.0 | 6.54 |
| Stranger rape | 0.73 | 1.31 |
| Nonsexual physical abuse by a spouse or partner | 6.57 | 12.42 |
| Nonsexual physical abuse by an acquaintance | 0.0 | 2.61 |
| Nonsexual physical abuse by a stranger | 4.38 | 7.19 |
| Sexual involvement with a therapist | 2.19 | 4.58 |
| Sexual involvement with a physician | 0.0 | 1.96 |
| At least one of the above | 13.87 | 56.86 |
| Abuse during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood | 32.85 | 69.93 |
| Source: From “National survey of psychologists’ sexual and physical abuse history and their evaluation of training and competence in these areas,” By K.S. Pope and S. Feldman-Summers, 1992, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 23, pp. 353–361. Copyright 1992 by the American Psychological Association. Adapted with permission. | ||
While these experiences may—or may not—affect emotional competence for any of us as individuals, it is important not to assume a one-size-fits-all theory about how forms of abuse (or any other experience) may affect an individual therapist. No research supports the notion that all those who have a history of abuse are more competent or less competent as therapists, or that those who have no history of abuse are more or less competent as therapists. Each instance must be evaluated on an individual basis, with the full range of available information and without stereotypes. What is key is for us to be aware of how such events affect us and what role, if any, they play in our emotional competence and our ability to respond effectively to clients.
Our work requires continuous awareness to prevent compromised performance, especially when we go through hard or challenging personal times. Chapter 17 discusses common consequences when a therapist or counselor is distressed, drained, or demoralized. These common consequences include disrespecting clients, disrespecting work, making more mistakes, lacking energy, using work to block out unhappiness, pain, and discontent, and losing interest.
Emotional competence includes the process of constantly questioning ourselves. Consider the following: Do the demands of the work we do as therapists, or other factors, suggest that the we need therapy in order to maintain or restore emotional competence? For many of us, creating self-care strategies that
