Current legal issues involved in cases against therapists working with child sexual abuse victims are reviewed. Changes in the legal climate over the past decade are described. Issues involved in the "false memory" attack are discussed. Techniques for risk management and the current situation in the media are discussed. (EMK)

This conference address examines the question of whether "memory work"--using therapeutic techniques to help clients recover suspected hidden memories of childhood sexual abuse--has led some clients to develop illusory memories or false beliefs. Prospective research on memory for childhood trauma indicates that the gist of traumatic…

This book calls into question the degree to which early childhood experiences affect psychological development, critiquing three related myths: (1) personality is formed by early childhood experiences; (2) mental disorders are caused by early childhood experiences; and (3) effective psychotherapy depends on reconstructing childhood experiences.…