Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse [Paperback]

Lynn Heitritter (Author), Jeanette Vought (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1989 | ISBN-10: 0871239302 | ISBN-13: 978-0871239303

"Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse offers a multifaceted discussion of a difficult issue, covering diagnosis, treatment, and prevention as well as spiritual, moral, and philosophical/ethical considerations." Dr. William Backus, author of Telling the Truth to Troubled People

"Heitritter and Vought have done an enormous service in demonstrating the extent of the problem in the local church-They give practical, tested advice about ministry to survivors of sexual abuse-Required reading for pastors, lay leaders and others who work everyday with victims of sexual abuse." Dale S. Ryan, executive director of The Recovery Partnership Foundation, Whittier, California

"This book uncovers the problem, points us to a solution that has history behind it it works! It's biblical, it's practical, while still providing a way to process all the inner turmoil and confusion that the victim experiences." Dave Carder, Counseling Ministries, First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California

"A complete guide to the psychological, social, spiritual,-needs of both victims and their families as well as those who work with them. This book meets Christian pastors and layleaders at one of the areas of greatest ignorance, misunderstanding, and need for practical guidance." Nils C. Friberg, Professor of Pastoral Care, Bethel Theological Seminary

Nine steps to mental, emotion and spiritual wholeness.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Heitritter and Vought have done the Christian community an enormous service by demonstrating the extent of the problem in the local church and by providing practical, tested strategies for ministry with survivors. This should be required reading for pastors, lay leaders and others who interact with victims of sexual abuse." —Dale S. Ryan, Director, Fuller Institute for Recovery Ministry CEO, Christian Recovery International

"Heitritter and Vought have given the Christian community one of the most comprehensive, practical, and Christ-centered volumes available on this painful subject. This truly is a must read for pastors as well as for professional and lay care-givers of any kind. I recommend it highly." —Sandra D. Wilson., PhD., Seminary professor, retired family therapist, and author of Released From Shame and Into Abba's Arms. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Dr. Jeanette Vought, Ph.D., is the Executive Director and Founder of the Christian Recovery Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a Licensed Practicing Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Social Worker and holds her Certificate as a Criminal Justice Specialist.

Vought has written Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse with Lynn Heitritter, R.N., as a sensitive, biblical guide for counselors, abuse victims and their families. It is a tool designed to assist the Christian community and Church administer the healing power of God's grace.

Former president of the Minnesota Chapter of the North American Christians in Social Work national board, Vought has extensive experience in counseling, social work and group home coordinating. She is presently teaching and conducting workshops on issues such as sexual abuse, domestic abuse, crisis pregnancy, port-abortion, and other sensitive social issues.

Vought and her husband have four grown sons and make their home in Minnesota.

Lynn Heitritter, RN, PH.D., is Faculty Associate in Marriage and Family Studies at Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the Founder and former Director of the BECOMERS Sexual Abuse Support Group Program. She is a licensed Parent and Family Educator in the state of Minnesota. Together with her husband and her children, Heitritter has provided licensed foster care to physically and sexually abused adolescents.

Emphasizing strategies for abuse prevention, Heitritter conducts family wellness workshops and presents seminare to equip clergy and lay persons in acquiring skills needed to breat cycles of shame in family systems and church systems. Concurrently, she teaches seminary courses in marriage and familiy therapy and pastoral care.

Heitritter and her husband live in Minneapolis, Minnsota, and have two adult daughters.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (September 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871239302
• ISBN-13: 978-0871239303
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Insightful, June 3, 2009

By 

James Hawkins "James L. Hawkins II" (New Orleans) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse: A Sensitive Biblical Guide for Counselors, Victims, and Families (Paperback)

I appreciated this book for the incite it can give to a skilled helper. It helped me see into the world of someone who has suffered from sexual abuse even though I myslef have never been. The authors did an outstanding job at peering into the images and messages that are acquired as a result of having suffered such an emotionally, and spiritually damaging act as sexual abuse. As a Christain counselor I aprreciate how the authors highlighted the truth of God's Word in setting the tone for true healing. I have used this with one client an have had great success in making them feel understood, and in helping them see hope.

15 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent a great tool for counselors of sexual abuse., June 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse (Paperback)

This is an excellent textbook for those going into the counseling ministry. I not only enjoyed the book but gleaned alot of helpful information.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best sexual abuse recovery book I've read, August 8, 2010

By 

D. Logue - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse: A Sensitive Biblical Guide for Counselors, Victims, and Families (Paperback)

I've had to read more than my fair share of these books in my field of study, and many books have inflated "fear mongering" statistics and a lot of misinformation on the nature of sexual abuse based upon cultural and media bias. This book is opposite. This book very accurately describes abusers as a homogeneous group rather than the trench coat wearing dirty old man image we conjure up when we think of sex offenders. In order to prevent sexual abuse, we must recognize the reality of sexual abuse, not the myths society believes about it. The facts is, most sexual abuse occurs in the home by trusted friends or family members. Not all are pedophiles. There are a variety of reasons why people commit sex crimes. Thankfully this book recognizes this fact, unlike many other books I've read on the subject.

Another good point made by this book is understanding what it REALLY means to "forgive" the offender. It is NOT excusing, not punishing him/ her, or forgetting the pain caused. Forgiveness is about not allowing the past to dictate your life any longer.

Most importantly, recover is a PROCESS, not one single event that instantly transforms you. I think many times we base our faith on those "miracle" stories we see on TV, when the reality is most of us continue to struggle even after we are saved.

This book offers a nine-step recovery process for abuse victims, and the steps address many of the feeling abuse victims endure as a result of the abuse they suffered.

The only things I feel should be addressed in the future if they revise this book again is the impact of sex offender laws in regard to barriers to treatment. The harsh nature of many sex offender laws offer incentives for family members to keep mum about the abuse or risk losing a loved one for life.