Steps to Recovery by Jeanette Vought
Step One: I recognize that I am powerless to heal the damaged emotions resulting from my sexual abuse, and I look to God for the power to make me whole.
Step Two: I acknowledge that God's plan for my life includes victory over the experience of sexual abuse.
Step Three: The person who abused me is responsible for the sexual acts committed against me. I will not accept the guilt and shame resulting from those sexual acts.
Step Four: I am looking to God and His Word to find my identity as a worthwhile and loved human being.
Step Five: I am honestly sharing my feelings with God and with at least one other person to help me identify those areas needing cleansing and healing.
Step Six: I am accepting responsibility for my responses to being sexually abused.
Step Seven: I am willing to accept God's help in the decision and the process of forgiving myself and those who have offended me.
Step Eight: I am willing to mature in my relationship with God and others.
Step Nine: I am willing to be used by God as an instrument of healing and restoration in the lives of others.
Excerpted from "Helping Victims of Sexual Abuse: A Sensitive Biblical Guide for Counselors, Victims, and Families" by Jeanette Vought