Sex trafficking is a hidden epidemic impacting millions of lives, yet most mental health professionals enter the field unprepared to
recognize it, let alone treat it. Counseling Sex Trafficking Clients: A Guide to Competent Practice aims to close that dangerous gap.
This is the book the profession has been missing: a comprehensive, research-based roadmap that walks counselors from first
encounter to lasting healing. The three-phase model of care enables readers to move beyond foundational knowledge, and into initial screening and safety planning, trauma processing, and the path toward flourishing. Written by leading counselor educators and clinicians who have devoted their careers to trauma work and training, this is the definitive guide for any mental health professional ready to provide truly competent, compassionate, and culturally responsive care to survivors of sex trafficking. Grounded in their own original research and clinical work, this book pairs rigorous research with survivor-informed case studies, practical assessment tools, and therapeutic strategies, translating complex trauma theory into clinical action. Dedicated chapters speak directly to counselor educators, clinical supervisors, and social justice advocates, while original appendices, including the authors' field-developed Child Sex Trafficking Competencies and an essential glossary of trafficking-specific terminology, make this an indispensable working reference, not just a one-time read. This important volume presents a comprehensive and empirically based manual for counselors to work with sex trafficking victims. Despite the alarming numbers of sex trafficking victims in the United States, professional counselors are underprepared to work with this population. This book touches on an important, yet neglected topic, and presents foundational knowledge for counselors to understand this phenomenon and differentiate it among other forms of abuse. This book is a practical manual that guides counselors on how to screen for sex trafficking, ensure safety among clients, facilitate their processing of trauma, and foster flourishing after their traumatic events.
Price: $62.95
Pages: 300
Publisher: American Counseling Association (ACA)
Imprint: American Counseling Association
Publication Date:
13 July 2027
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781556201431
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Human Trafficking, PSYCHOLOGY / Psychotherapy / Counseling, PSYCHOLOGY / Trauma Psychology, PSYCHOLOGY / Research & Methodology
Dr. Devon E. Romero is an Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Director in the Department of Counseling at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Alabama. Her research focuses on trauma among historically marginalized, at-risk, and underserved populations, with an emphasis on complementary interventions and evidence-based outcomes to inform counselor training, research, and practice. Dr. Romero is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas and a National Certified Counselor, with clinical expertise in trauma and child and adolescent counseling. She is co-founder of the Counselors Against Sex Trafficking Research Lab and serves as President-Elect (2027–2028) of Chi Sigma Iota International. Her contributions to counseling research, leadership, and mentorship have been recognized through several professional honors, including Chi Sigma Iota International's Outstanding Chapter Faculty Advisor Award and the Texas Counseling Association Research Award. Dr. Claudia G. Interiano-Shiverdecker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her research focuses on trauma and grief that is culturally responsive for marginalized populations. She also serves as the program coordinator for the Bilingual Counseling Certificate Program and leads a study abroad program at UT- San Antonio. Dr. Interiano-Shiverdecker is co-founder of the Counselors Against Sex Trafficking Research Lab. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor who provides trauma-informed and bilingual counseling services for Spanish-speaking communities. She received the Outstanding Counselor Educator Award from the Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision in 2025. She co-authored the book, Preparing Culturally Efficacious Bilingual Counselors through Theory and Case Studies.
Dr. Priscilla Rose Prasath (LPC, GCSC) is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Ohio University. Her research focuses on enhancing counselor competence to promote mental health and well-being among diverse populations, including college students, immigrants, and career professionals. Her work integrates strengths-based positive psychology with training programs, group interventions, leadership development, and innovative practices incorporating digital technology, AI, and creative modalities. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and delivered international, national, and state-level presentations on these topics. Her scholarship and teaching have received multiple awards. She directs the Strengths and Wellbeing Innovation Research Lab (SWI-RL) and served as the 52nd President of the Association for Specialists in Group Work.
Preface
Part I: Foundational Knowledge on Sex
Trafficking
Chapter 1: Introduction to Sex Trafficking
Chapter 2: Multicultural and Diversity
Considerations
Part II: Phases of Client Care
Chapter 3: Phase 1: Initial Screening and
Ensuring Safety
Chapter 4: Phase 2: Processing Trauma
Chapter 5: Phase 3: Fostering Flourishing
Part III: Guide for Counselors, Educators,
Supervisors, and Advocates
Chapter 6: Guide for Clinical Practice
Chapter 7: Guide for Counselor Education and
Supervision
Chapter 8: Guide for Social Justice,
Advocacy, and Community Outreach
Conclusion
Appendixes
Glossary of Terms
