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Effects Of Counseling On Women 's Depression, Anxiety, And Posttraumatic Stress After Spousal Emotional Abuse

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Summary The subject of this article is to review the literature on the effects forgiveness therapy on women who have depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress after spousal emotional abuse. Women who have experienced this type of abuse long-after the relationship has ended still are emotionally wounded, fragile and need long-term therapy (Reed & Enright, 2006). This type of abuse destroys trust and communication in the relationship as well as causes one partner within the relationship to feel powerless (Reed & Enright, 2006). Researchers have identified several associated behaviors and outcomes of emotional abuse and the impact it has over time (Reed & Enright, 2006). They also found that there is treatment for abused women but research is still forthcoming that supports a more helpful approach for emotionally battered women (Reed & Enright, 2006). One area is forgiveness therapy; this new proposed area of treatment primary goal is to develop a relationship between forgiving what happened, how to improve mental health related issues such as depression or anxiety and how to improve negative outcomes related to abuse (Reed & Enright, 2006). When an emotionally abused woman seeks treatment, it can be very challenging for two reasons. The literature suggest that the first reason recovery is challenging is because the woman often takes on the victim mindset and feels abandoned (Reed & Enright,2006). The second reason is that the victim may feel like something she did earned

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