Sexual Abuse Program

[jessx]

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Hello All!

First post so please excuse any errors please. I am a junior psych major, researching the programs I want to go to. Phd or PsyD, fit is most important. My ultimate goal is to become a clinical psychologist with a focus/specialization/concentration in treating victims of sexual abuse. I am having a very hard time finding a program that coincides with my ultimate career goal. Do any programs come to your mind? Do any grad school professors come to mind?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[heygirlhey211]

You might look into professors who have expertise in PTSD more broadly (particularly complex PTSD), as I doubt many focus primarily on sexual abuse. Offhand, I know that Pam Remer at Kentucky (counseling program) has a trial for Cognitive Processing Therapy for sexual abuse survivors.

 

[syzergy]

I recommend finding some papers that examine survivors of sexual abuse. Find some cool articles that get you excited about research. Find something recent, look at the author and the reference list. You might get a mix of specialties but it's a start. Do you want to work with survivors of child sexual abuse? Adult survivors of child sexual abuse? Surviors of adult sexual assualt? Domestic violence survivors? Different professors work with different populations (at least in a clinical phd program, you might be more generalization with psyd programs?). You don't have to make this decision right now but it's something to keep in mind while you're reading.

 

[CheetahGirl]

I agree with the previous poster. Look for programs that have faculty who focus on trauma and domestic/international violence. You can go to any program, as long as you find a person of interest (POI) that will align with your research interests.

Another point, sexual abuse and domestic violence are not topics people readily dive into, (especially when/if we're talking about children...which you didn't say anything about, but I thought I'd add b/c you may encounter some implicit/"hush-hush" stigma). Make sure you are straight in your mind, why it is that you are interested in this provocative subject. This is a rhetorical question that I'm not asking you to answer here...just make sure you're clear yourself because any doctoral program interviewer will ask you what about this subject interests you, and will dive a little more deeply if written about in your personal statement. As long as you're comfortable with their questions and your answers, then you'll be golden.

Good luck!

 

[cara susanna]

Terri Messman-Moore at Miami University

 

[MBellows]

I think that some people over at Texas Women's University focus on that area.

 

[cara susanna]

Now that I've woken up a bit I've thought of another: Elizabeth Yeater at University of New Mexico

 

[cam88]

Dr. Hansen at UNL researches interventions for children who have been sexually abused