gestalt therapy with sexually abused children

I,m gestalt therapist since 8 years having led a lot of adult groups of various character including sexually abused group in Korea. recently I began to have more works with sexually abused children, in which area I have relative little knowledge and experience. so I want some help from colleagues in this regard. I offer children usually play therapy giving them the opportunity to be aware of and to give expression to their unfinished emotions related with sexuall abuse. However I often hear from my children clients that such kind of work remind them more of the incidents and therefore they have more stress. I am a little bit annoyed at this point because on one side I think it is necessary to work through this pain resulting inevitably from this kind of work but on the othe side I worry that the repeated work on the abuse itself might lead, as children allege, to a secondary wound, because it really makes them to recall again and again the incidents. I would appreciate any kind of informations, experiences or opinions this regard. If there is anyone who want to give me directly help, please contact me with my email adress jkkim@cc.sungshin.ac.kr thank you.

• Working with abused children by Claire Salisbury, 5/22/98