| Abstract: | SUMMARY As a therapist I have chosen to work with adolescent girls whose voices are among the weakest in our society. They have been sexually, physically and/or emotionally abused as children. Many have seen their mothers beaten by their boyfriends or husbands. Many have body-perfection obsessions such as anorexia and bulimia. Almost all of them have run away from home, hung out downtown, stolen property, relied on drugs and alcohol, and purposefully hurt themselves to take away their feelings. Many have resorted to selling their bodies on the streets or within their peer groups. They all operate from a self-belief of worthlessness, a belief that has gender socialization and abuse at its core. It is at this core that the therapeutic relationship must begin. This article describes a therapy relationship with a 14-year-old girl. This work with adolescent girls is described as being guided by three main principles, that of relationship, justice and soul work. |
