Sense of self in Iranian clients with a history of complex trauma: A phenomenology study

Experience of complex trauma in childhood can lead to significant psychological effects in adulthood. One of such most important effects is maladaptive sense of self. The purpose of this study was to provide a deep understanding regarding the quality of sense of self in Iranian adult clients with a history of complex trauma. The research method employed was interpretive phenomenology, which is a qualitative method. For this purpose, using purposeful sampling, 12 clients (8 females and 4 males), with a history of complex trauma (emotional and physical neglect, and emotional, physical and sexual abuse) who referred to two psychological clinics in Tehran, were selected. In-depth interviews were held to collect data. The interview sessions were recorded and transcribed verbatim and were analyzed using the seven-stage method of Colaizzi. The two main themes extracted were the central sense of self and coping strategies. The central sense of self included two main categories of maladaptive shame and maladaptive fear. The coping strategies included three main categories of avoidance, feeling angry with oneself, and compensatory behaviors. In the end, the findings were discussed.