YAD HENNA SARA INC

Most of the residents at Aishel are victims of physical, emotional or sexual abuse and are experiencing feelings of isolation and shame. Many have kept the secret of abuse for years and they fear telling anyone their story. Victims of sexual abuse may have experienced some or all of the following psychological issues long after the actual abusive situations have stopped taking place: anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In order to help the Aishel residents begin to heal, Aishel provides individual and group psychotherapy.

The trauma of abuse often leaves girls with feelings of shame. Shame is an excruciating and agonizing emotion leaving the person feeling alone and completely worthless. According to researchers Epstein and Janoff-Bulman (“Assumptive Worlds and the Stress of Traumatic Events” 1989) psychological health rests on three implicit beliefs about the world: the world is basically benevolent, the world is meaningful and the self is worthy. Traumas challenge one or more of these basic assumptions and therein lays the fundamental problem and destabilization that traumas produce.

The antidote for shame, according to research, is acceptance and compassion which are both primary in the therapies provided at Aishel. The research goes on to explain that a person can learn to find a feeling of self-love and compassion inside one’s self, and also build healthier relationships with people who provide that as well. One important aspect of therapy is the unburdening of these shameful secrets and feelings in the presence of a compassionate and non-judgmental person. In this way one can begin to internalize these qualities and reduce and modify critical self-talk.

The strong therapeutic program offered at Aishel provides the residents with a dynamic opportunity to delve into their past and then find new ways to accept themselves and others. Many Aishel residents have utilized this psychotherapy to its fullest extent and have overcome the feelings of shame, despair, and dysfunction that sexual abuse leaves behind.

Therapy Model
The clinicians at Aishel utilize Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CF-CBT), which is an evidenced based treatment approach, which is shown to help adolescents overcome trauma-related difficulties.

TF-CBT is the most well-supported and effective treatment for children and adolescents who have been abused and traumatized. Multiple clinical research studies have consistently found this therapeutic model to help children and teens with PTSD and other trauma related problems, and it had been rated Best Practice for use with abused children and adolescents. TF-CBT is currently being used successfully in community service agencies across the United States.