Anna: Sexually abused by her father beginning at age one. Tanya: Raped by her father at age five. Lisa: Neglected by her mother and put into a foster home, she suffered severe and prolonged Satanic ritual abuse at her mother's hand. And Amy...Krista...Shawna...Linda...Virginia... All victims of severe emotional, physical, and sexual abuse as children. These eight women together made a treacherous journey up through the depths of pain, despair, anger, and fear toward newfound self-awareness and inner strength. This poignant odyssey is depicted in Ending the Cycle of Abuse, a volume about a highly promising method of group treatment for adults who have been severely abused as children. Accessible to both therapist and patient, this book is extraordinary because it offers the dual perspectives of both therapist and abuse victims in the group endeavor. This extremely compelling book is composed of the measured words of therapist Dr. Ney and the lucid prose of Anna Petersone of his patients in the group. It is enhanced by moving contributions from other group members as well. The volume traces a carefully evolved process of therapy developed by Dr. Ney over a lifetime of clinical practice and research into child abuse and neglect. Dr. Ney bases his therapeutic technique on the theory of the triangle of abuse involving perpetrator, victim, and observer: transgenerational in nature and changeable under varied circumstances. Realistic and pragmatic, Ending the Cycle of Abuse describes a process that requires abuse victims to accept that they have been forever changed as a result of the abuse they endured. Group members are taught to constructively deal with the guilt, the anger, the rage, thefear, and the despair stemming from their early experiences, and the majority make remarkably good progress. This exceptional volume will give its readers a deeper understanding of child abuse and its effects on the developing child. For therapists who work with abuse victims, it sets forth a time-tested technique for providing significant help to a severely disturbed and growing population. For victims of abuse, it offers the immense relief of self-recognition and the gift of hope.

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.