Dialogues in Partner Abusive Clients’ Group Treatment: Conversational Tools Used by Counselors With Differently Motivated Clients

Räsänen, Eveliina; Holma, Juha; Seikkula, Jaakko

doi:10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-12-00064r1

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…A study comparing good and poor outcome cases supported this assumption. This study indicated that clients participated in group therapy with considerable different levels of motivation, and the interaction within the clients' various stages of change was characterized by different qualities (Räsänen et al, 2014). During the stages of change that characterized the good outcome cases, more dialogical responding, client activity in the conversations, and talk at the symbolic level of meanings were observed.…”

Section: Understanding How Ipv Individual Therapy Leads To Changementioning

confidence: 88%

From Resistance to Invitations: How Men Voluntarily in Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence May Contribute to the Development of a Working Alliance

Lømo

Haavind

Tjersland

2016

J Interpers Violence

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The high drop-out rate and modest outcome for men in treatment for intimate partner violence (IPV) have highlighted the question of how therapists can establish an effective working alliance with these clients. The aim of this study was to conceptualize the variety of ways in which male clients using violence against a female partner might present themselves to form a working alliance that might appeal to them. We studied how 20 men voluntarily in individual IPV treatment contributed at the beginning of therapy to forming an alliance with therapists skilled in such treatment. The first therapy session in 10 drop-out and 10 completed cases was transcribed verbatim and analyzed qualitatively, following guidelines drawn from the constructionist grounded theory. The analysis resulted in a conceptual model of gateways and invitations to an alliance. Gateways are themes that have the potential to open a path toward collaboration on personal change. Each of the three gateways identified, comprised solide and weak invitations to an alliance: (a) presenting reasons for seeking treatment-as their own choice, as avoidance, or as a mistake; (b) presenting notions of change-as their own need to change their violent behavior, as ambivalence toward the project, or as a need to change the partner; and (c) disclosing and describing violence-as a personal narrative, as a scene, as a fragment of their life, or as something else. Implications for therapists' understanding of clients' motivational goals, negotiation of alliance, and disclosure of violence early in therapy are discussed.

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Section: Understanding How Ipv Individual Therapy Leads To Changementioning

confidence: 88%

From Resistance to Invitations: How Men Voluntarily in Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence May Contribute to the Development of a Working Alliance

Lømo

Haavind

Tjersland

2016

J Interpers Violence

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“…By contrast, the stages most often detected in the poor outcome cases were characterized by monological responding, therapist-dominated conversations, and talk at the indicative level of meanings. Finally, the analyses indicated that even though the therapists responded differently to clients who expressed more or less motivation for change, the therapists did not succeed in enhancing the clients' motivation (Räsänen, Holma, & Seikkula, 2014). These findings highlight that even when therapists attempt to respond in a way that can help their clients solve their psychological problems and that is consistent with their therapeutic approaches (Kramer & Stiles, 2015), they are not always successful.…”

Section: Therapists' Contribution To Alliance Formationmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Moreover, research findings indicate that particular interactional characteristics might be associated with therapy outcome. One study found that clients participating in IPV group therapy had considerably different levels of motivation and that the interactions within the clients' various stages of change were characterized by different qualities (Räsänen, Holma, & Seikkula, 2014). During the stages of change that characterized the good outcome cases, more dialogical responding, client activity in the conversations, and talk at the symbolic level of meanings were observed.…”

Section: Therapists' Contribution To Alliance Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finding a Common Ground: Therapist Responsiveness to Male Clients Who Have Acted Violently Against Their Female Partner

Lømo

Haavind

Tjersland

2019

J Interpers Violence

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Men in treatment for intimate partner violence (IPV) do often present with problem formulations that do not fit the therapeutic endeavor of personal change and may, therefore, challenge therapists in their effort to build an alliance. However, the therapist’s initial contributions are also likely to influence whether the client finds it worthwhile to become involved in a working alliance. In a qualitative study of the in-session interactions between experienced therapists and men in IPV individual therapy, we looked for variations in therapist responsiveness to the client’s initial invitations to identify whether and, eventually, how the two parties were able to reach common ground for working together. We studied therapist–client interactions in 20 therapy cases, including 10 completed cases with good outcomes and 10 dropout cases. Two sessions during the early phase of the therapy and the final session were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The transcriptions were analyzed following the guidelines of constructivist grounded theory. The analysis revealed three interactional patterns: co-creative exploration, pull-avoid repetitions, and tiptoeing softly around, each of which was associated with a distinctive set of therapist strategies. Clients participating in the co-creative pattern appeared to experience the most successful treatment. Our findings suggest that a model of therapist responses to client invitations is valuable for the conceptualization of the therapeutic alliance during the early sessions of psychotherapy. The findings also highlight the importance of clarifying and expanding upon the client’s personal experience with his abuse to form a viable working alliance.

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Intimate Partner Violence in Finland

Holma

Päivinen

Siltala

et al. 2021

International Perspectives on Intimate Partner Violence

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High prevalence of intimate partner violence against women and high levels of gender equality in Finland yield to what has been called the 'Nordic paradox'. It has been argued that the high level of gender equality has caused the need for IPV interventions and especially gendered perspective to be overlooked. However, there has been recent and ongoing development in IPV intervention and prevention in regard of perpetrator programs, couples therapy and post-separation stalking. Training programs for social and health care professionals and the police have been developed as well as for teachers and other professionals at school. We hope the current government's new action plan for combating violence against women will contribute to development of efficient interventions. Introducing ourselves to you I, Juha, am a clinical psychologist, family psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor. When working as doctoral student, the local crisis center, Mobile, developed an initiative, forming a group for perpetrators at the new founded Psychotherapy Training and ResearchCentre at the University of Jyväskylä. My colleague, Aarno Laitila, and I were interested on this initiative. This was a start of the development of a multiprofessional network against violence against women and research projects concerning IPV described later in this chapter.Since then, many students and researchers have participated in these projects, and interdisciplinary cooperation at the University of Jyväskylä has developed, including international conferences and the Violence Studies program. We, Helena, Heli and Salla,

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Dialogues in Partner Abusive Clients’ Group Treatment: Conversational Tools Used by Counselors With Differently Motivated Clients

Cited by 5 publications

References 60 publications

From Resistance to Invitations: How Men Voluntarily in Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence May Contribute to the Development of a Working Alliance

From Resistance to Invitations: How Men Voluntarily in Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence May Contribute to the Development of a Working Alliance

Finding a Common Ground: Therapist Responsiveness to Male Clients Who Have Acted Violently Against Their Female Partner

Intimate Partner Violence in Finland

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