LE3 .A278 2015

2015

Lehr, Ron

Acadia University

Master of Education

Masters

Counselling

Education

Research on male childhood sexual abuse is sparse because, historically, sexual activity involving boys was considered infrequent. However, in 2010, 12% of sexual assault victims in Canada were males (Brennan, 2012). Field and colleagues (1997) suggested including the body in the healing process given that it was the object of abuse. The current research study explored how trauma-informed massage therapy might affect the long-term negative consequences of childhood sexual abuse on men. Participants were adult men who had experienced childhood sexual abuse and were seeking counselling for the abuse. Narrative inquiry captured the richness of the men’s experience of eight audio-recorded, one-hour massages, plus semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed the following themes: the positive impact trauma-informed therapy had on healing, dissociation and increased body awareness, exploring misconceptions around touch in the quest for rekindled trust, identity confusion, submissiveness, isolation, and blocked messages. Keywords: childhood sexual abuse, males, massage therapy

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:357