A Partial Test of the Transtheoretical Model in Therapy with Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.
This study tested the application of the transtheoretical model to therapy with adults who were sexually molested in childhood. Eighty-three adults currently in therapy and dealing with issues of childhood sexual abuse responded to questionnaires assessing their current stages of change in therapy and their relative use of different processes of change. Participants in the contemplation, preparation, and action stages reported significant differences in use of behavioral processes of change but no difference in their use of experiential processes. The pattern of change reported by these participants lends some support to the applicability of the transtheoretical model to this population and supports prior clinical description of therapy with sexually abused clients.