This is important to realize, because race, ethnicity, and class may powerfully shape a woman s experience of rape. The meaning and consequences of rape, within the culture, must be ascertained to guide a survivor to recovery. It is necessary for the therapist to be aware of oppression that the survivor may encounter in the health care system, the criminal justice system, and social service organizations, because of her race, ethnicity, or class. The more awareness that a therapist has about the differences that arise from race, class, and ethnicity, the more likely the therapist s culturally constructed values will not be imposed on the survivor. It is important to remember that there is great diversity between individuals, but at the same time to respect the culture and to help the survivor find support and heal within her culture and community.
Rape is a complex experience.
The therapist, of a survivor of rape, should be aware of different factors that shape the survivor s experience. However, the therapist must not only view the survivor in the context of the individual, but also in the context of community. Rape is loss. Like death, it is best treated with a period of mourning and grief. We should develop social ceremonies for rape, rituals, that, like funerals and wakes, would allow the mourners to recover the spirits that the rapist, like death, steals.