Mutuality and Conflict: Investigating group processes and the development of "voice-in-relation" within a short term Women's Group for survivors of sexual abuse who have learning difficulties.

Women with learning difficulties are often subject to oppressive
situations and attitudes that drastically increase their likelihood of being
abused. However, until recently, such women had not had the same access to
psychotherapeutic intervention as their non-disabled counterparts.
Intervention documented to date has tended to focus on psycho-educational
groups where women with learning difficulties are taught skills in order to
'keep them safe'.
The author, a trainee Clinical Psychologist, together with an Occupational
Therapist and consultant Clinical Psychologist in a Clinical Specialist Learning
Difficulties Team, ran a Women's Group for survivors of sexual abuse with
learning difficulties. Five women attended the group. The author audio-taped
group sessions as well as post group interviews and analysed them using
grounded theory analysis in order to investigate the ways in which women with
learning difficulties become therapeutic collaborators by affecting and being
affected by group process.
Two super-ordinate themes of mutuality and conflict were identified and
conceptualised as inter-related and cyclical in nature, moving the group
through cycles of connection, disconnection and new connection. The post
group interviews revealed the development of "voice-in-relation", and a theory is
given regarding the relationship between this development and the group
process.

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