Affirming love: co-authoring empowering stories of healthy intimacy after childhood sexual abuse

Abstract

Women who experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are primarily represented thereafter in a discourse of effects by academics, professionals, and the public. The effects discourse focuses on how women are damaged and relationally impaired by CSA, which can be limiting for women in their efforts to make sense of this experience. A response­based discourse is proposed as an empowering alternative, honouring and giving voice to the diverse ways in which women respond to CSA and develop healthy intimate relationships. Drawing upon the approaches of Dr. Allan Wade's response-based therapy and narrative therapy, the present study aimed to explore how women articulate personal stories of healthy intimacy post-CSA through this alternative discourse. This study suggests that the response-based discourse can be offered as a supplementary alternative to the discourse of effects through purposeful questions that recognize participants' pre­existing abilities.