A 57 year old survivor remembers a repressed memory and reaches out for support.

A 57 year old woman who had experienced Child Sexual Abuse contacted Arpan as she was overwhelmed after watching an incident of Child Sexual Abuse in a popular TV show. While watching it she started crying and didn’t know what was happening. She then revealed her experience to her daughter and came for therapy. The counsellor observed that the lady showed low self-esteem, had lot of stammering issues especially related to English. She also had interpersonal issues and would keep things to herself. During the sessions the client revealed about the abuse which was very intense. It was realized that all her emotional and behaviour issues were related to the. She had not shared it with anyone as she thought no one would believe her, it was her fault and hence she was feeling a lot of guilt and fear. At the same time she had a lot of anger towards the abuser and other members of the family as they couldn’t take care of her. The therapist began with helping the client dealing with her day to day issues, maintain interpersonal relationships and self-awareness. Through psycho education, creating a safe space and resource development the client felt comfortable to share the story of her trauma. After the stabilization and revelation of the abuse it was observed that English was a trigger for the client. The client realized that during the time of the abuse, the abuser would demand her to loudly recite a poem in English so as to give the impression that the child was reading. English as a language stayed in her memory as a constant reminder of the abuse that she had faced. However, till she came to Arpan and started therapy she had not made the connection of her stammering and discomfort to talk or touch any paper written in English. The counsellor helped her stabilise and then process her trauma which lead to her ability to manage her relationships better, increased her self-esteem and self-awareness. At the same time it helped her deal with her stammering while communicating in English.

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