‘People need
healing at different
levels’
Giles Lascelle
GILES LASCELLE tells Sarah Olowofoyeku about equipping people to survive well after being abused
T
HE trauma of being abused as a child can have a significant impact on a person’s life, whether or not the abuse was reported or remained hidden. Psychotherapist Giles Lascelle works to help people deal with the effects of abuse. ‘There aren’t that many comprehensive resources for survivors,’ he says. ‘There are booklets and leaflets that do a quite superficial job of helping survivors understand their own processes. Then you get a big leap to academic books that go into way too much detail and are hard to read.’ To address the imbalance, Giles wrote
8 • War Cry • 20 June 2020
Breakthrough: The Art of Surviving. ‘I wanted to write something for survivors that was accessible but also went into a little bit of depth. I wanted them to know that the ways they respond are understandable and to recognise the reasons for their responses.’ The book explores the impact that being abused can have on people, as well as the ways in which they can deal with shame, get help, create healthy boundaries and restore their experience of relationships. Each chapter ends with resources for the survivors as well as a pause for thought and questions for supporters of those who have been abused. Breakthrough also discusses how the Church can be a safe space for survivors. Giles hopes that it can offer such safety,
