It is estimated that at least one in four or five women and one out of ten men was sexually abused as a child by a family member. Most of those people continue to suffer in adulthood because of undeserved guilt, anxiety, and shame. Reclaiming Our Lives, written by a survivor of abuse and a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of adult survivors of abuse, uses interviews with survivors and a healing approach to track the adult problems and what to do about them. Issues of trust, power, control, sexuality, and intimacy are examined in detail. The book concludes with an alphabet of survival tactics and a fourteen-step guide for growth for the survivor.

"The breadth of the book's approach to the subject is impressive in its extensive list of reference will commend it to students, while its brief case vignettes and carefully argued points make it a valuable theoretical book for the counselling practitioner." --Diane Hammersley in Counselling Matthew Mendel is the first to conduct a national survey among male survivors of sexual abuse. The results of his findings present a sobering study of just how extensive this kind of abuse is in terms of types of sexual activity and number and gender of perpetrators. The Male Survivor examines the phenomenon and long-term impact of sexual abuse on male children, and dispells many myths regarding the invulnerability of male victims. In this pioneering effort, Mendel argues that various societal myths and beliefs have led to a profound underrecognition of male sexual abuse, and that increased attention to, and acknowledgment of, male victimization is needed to reduce the isolation of male survivors, as well as aid in the decrease of abuse incidents. Modifications and revisions of conceptual frameworks regarding long-term sequelae of childhood sexual abuse are also proposed as they apply to the male experience. Clinical practitioners, interns, advanced students and researchers will find the cutting edge research of The Male Survivor to be a valuable contribution in the efforts to understand and treat this population so wounded by early sexual abuse. "The Male Survivor is an important book. Not only does it provide a comprehensive and in-depth literature review (the best I've seen in this area), it also carefully explicates the specific social and psychological issues faced by men who were abused as children. Dr. Mendel has written a scholarly yet clinically useful volume, balancing research with case histories and psychological theory with social analysis." --John N. Briere, University of Southern California School of Medicine

Written by an American psychotherapist and group therapy leader, this book offers advice to men who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse. It aims to help them to identify and validate their childhood experiences; explore strategies of survival and healing; work through issues such as trust, intimacy and sexuality; establish a support network for continued personal recovery; and set goals for the future.

Drawing on their extensive experience, the authors present an approach to the treatment of the adult incest survivor. This combines cognitive- behavioural, psychodynamic, and family treatment perspectives to encompass the full breadth and scope of the healing and recovery process. While acknowledging the need for the survivor to become conscious of the incestuous experience and its impact, the authors view memory retrieval as only the first step in healing; the ultimate goal is letting go of the past to actively reinvent the present. The book presents specific guidelines for the initial, middle and end phases of the therapy, for family-of-origin therapy, and for treatment of the male incest survivor.

For millions of men on the path to recovery, Victims No Longer is the next step. The first book written specifically for men, Victims No Longer examines the changing cultural attitudes toward male survivors of incest and other sexual trauma. Now, in this Second Edition, this invaluable resource continues to offer compassionate and practical advice, supported by personal anecdotes and statements of male survivors. Victims No Longer helps survivors to: Identify and validate their childhood experiences Explore strategies of survival and healing Work through issues such as trust, intimacy, and sexual confusion Establish a support network for continued personal recovery Make choices that aren't determined by abuse Psychotherapist Mike Lew has worked with thousands of men and women in their healing from the effects of childhood sexual abuse, rape, physical violence, emotional abuse, and neglect. The development of strategies for recovery from incest and other abuse, particularly for men, has been a major focus of his work as a counselor and group leader. Thoroughly updated and revised, and including an expanded Resources section, Victims No Longer educates survivors and professionals about the recovery process -- speaking to the pain, needs, fears, and hopes of the adult male survivor.