In this study, the author examines a small set of words uttered by a female adolescent sexual abuse survivor and an experienced male social worker practitioner. She speaks of the burden She carries in Her heart. He speaks about His responsibility to retrieve objective stories from sexually abused children, knowing He holds their hearts in His hands. Analysis focused on the words and metaphors used in the passages. Woven together, the two create a picture of the treacherous path of disclosure in a world of disbelieving adults and the responsibility of social work professionals to shoulder the burden of that passage. Implications for social work practice are considered.
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