Counseling Intimate Partner Abuse Survivors: Effective and Ineffective Interventions

Abstract

This study obtained feedback from intimate partner abuse survivors (N = 104) regarding helpful and unhelpful aspects of therapy. The survivors’ narrative accounts and answers to quantitative questions were subjected to quantitative and qualitative analysis. Results suggest that survivors sought therapy to understand themselves and the abuse they endured. Clinicians’ diagnoses of codependency or assertions that survivors chose the relationship weakened the therapeutic alliance and reduced the perceived helpfulness of therapy.

“He Loves Me Hard and Then He Abuses Me Hard”: How Service Providers Define and Explain Trauma Bonds Among Sex Trafficking Survivors

“…An evidence-based strategy for psychoeducation concerning trauma bonding also needs to be developed for clinician use with clients who are survivors of trafficking. It is especially important that such psychoeducation is designed in such a way that precludes clinician blame of the client, which is unfortunately present all too often (Leedom et al, 2019).…”

The Prevalence of Domestic Violence in the Lives of Female Heterosexual Partners of Sex Addicts

“…Challenges victims of DV may face when seeking support are lack of assessment for the violence, leading to nondisclosure ( Todahl et al, 2020 ); and victim-blaming therapeutic models, leading to ineffective interventions ( Leedom et al, 2019 ). The latter problem has historically existed for the PSA as well ( Steffens & Rennie, 2006 ).…”

“…The latter problem has historically existed for the PSA as well ( Steffens & Rennie, 2006 ). Victim-blaming models, such as co-dependency and self-defeating personality disorder, may not only be unhelpful to PSAs, they may be harmful ( Leedom et al, 2019 ), resulting in increased trauma ( Minwalla, 2021 ) or collusion with the perpetrator of the DV she is experiencing ( Mayer, 2017 ). Either outcome may lead to further disempowerment of the victim and might also jeopardize her health and safety.…”