Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 15th Sept 2026, 12:30:55pm EEST
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Daily Overview |
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Oral Session 7: Dialogical and Relational Processes in Therapy Location: Amphitheatre I (KEDEA) Session Chair: Prof. Tanja Repič Slavič, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Theology | |
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The Therapist’s Role in Relational Family Therapy with Survivors of Sexual Abuse Experiencing Flashbacks University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Theology and Franciscan Family Institute, Slovenia Sexual abuse is a form of trauma that profoundly marks an individual across multiple domains of life and experience, including emotional, bodily, relational, and cognitive functioning. This presentation is grounded in the author’s extensive experience in clinical and scientific research. It presents the role of the therapist in the processing of emotions in psychotherapy with individuals who have experienced sexual abuse. The central focus is on working with flashbacks as one of the core manifestations of traumatic experience. Flashbacks appear as sudden, intense, and often somatically charged re-experiencing of traumatic events, overwhelming the individual’s capacity for emotional regulation and disrupting their sense of safety in the present moment. The aim of the contribution is to highlight how, within relational family therapy, the therapist can, through presence, the therapeutic relationship, and specific interventions, create a space in which emotions related to traumatic memories can be processed safely. In this context, clinical case examples will be presented, with particular emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as a key healing factor. The presentation addresses essential factors in recognizing signs of dissociation, emotional overwhelm, and bodily responses, as well as the use of interventions such as dual awareness, grounding, slowing down the therapeutic process, and reflecting on emotional content. The therapist’s role is to function as an affect regulator, supporting the client in maintaining contact with the present moment and gradually integrating traumatic experiences into their personal narrative. In conclusion, the presentation also emphasizes the importance of the therapist’s own emotional regulation, reflection on countertransference responses, and regular supervision. Clinical implications for working with survivors of sexual abuse are presented, contributing to the safe and effective treatment of flashbacks. *The author would like to acknowledge the financial contribution of the research program ARIS P6-0262 Values in Judeo-Christian Sources and Tradition and Possibilities for Dialogue | |