Results of the Jyväskylä research project on couple therapy for intimate partner violence: topics and strategies in successful therapy processes

Abstract

Despite controversy over the indications of couple therapy for IPV, current research has indicated some benefits. This article examines some crucial aspects when dealing with couple therapy for IPV, such as how dominance and power abuse are present, and which important issues should be taken into account during the therapeutic process and be brought up in therapeutic conversations. It also proposes strategies for therapists conducting couple therapy for IPV. Ten studies conducted within the Jyv€ askyl€ a research project on couple therapy for IPV were reviewed. Findings highlighted the importance of the therapists' awareness of the presence of violence, dominance and power during the sessions, and of how cultural issues could prevent their recognition. Responsibility and couple agreement on the violent behaviour seemed especially relevant at the beginning of the treatment. Potentially useful therapeutic strategies are directedness, use of reflective dialogue, and continuous assessment. Practitioner points• In couple treatment for IPV therapists should (a) actively bring up violence, responsibility and parenting, and (b) reflect on the culturally dominant understandings of IPV • To regulate the presence of dominance, therapists' directivity might promote equal distribution of talk, and increase the therapeutic alliance • Therapist strategies such as multivoiced addresses, reflective dialogue and a directive approach may promote clients' responsibility and reflexivity

The care for the persistent family aggressor in the perception of nursing students

“…The multidisciplinary action allows for different conceptual perceptions of the facts, which allows for enriching discussions and collectively planning interventions. The multiple training courses in joint action collaborate to find risks, limits, potentialities and possible paths to follow (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) , as evidenced by the participants of this study. Actions to prevent violence and promote a Culture of Peace, such as conflict mediation, restorative practices and the use of nonviolent communication are also measures to be taken by the multidisciplinary health team.…”

“…To this end, the Family Health Strategy, present in Primary Health Care in Brazil, is a valuable tool for identifying the factors involved in the care success, because the careful family monitoring allows early recognition of favorable or unfavorable actions ( 22 - 23 ) . Another possibility pointed out by the authors are the Singular Therapeutic Projects ( Projetos Terapêuticos Singulares , PTS) with matrix support from multidisciplinary teams ( 24 ) , as they allow shared diagnoses, the joint definition of plausible goals, division of responsibilities and reassessment of the efficiency of the care provided to the aggressor and the family.…”

“…Actions to prevent violence and promote a Culture of Peace, such as conflict mediation, restorative practices and the use of non-violent communication are also measures to be taken by the multidisciplinary health team. These actions reduce the incidence of violence, as well as they can generate medium-term reflexes on harmful cultural aspects, such as machismo ( 22 - 24 ) .…”

“…In addition, it is interesting that in care planning nurses reflect that the violent drive is not necessarily a constant in the life of the aggressor. Perhaps their harmful behavior occurs as a final mechanism of conflict resolution, whose otherwise unsuccessful attempts at resolution have caused atrocious impulses (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27) .…”

Thinking under fire: Mentalization‐based couple therapy for high conflict and domestically abusive couples'

“…For instance, Farmer and Callen (2012) argue that individual‐based interventions provide only a partial understanding of the phenomenon of violence and abuse within couple relationships. And in a recent review of services for intimate partner violence, emphasis was placed on the benefits of working with partners together (Vall et al, 2018). Furthermore, there are many accounts of practitioners, that is, in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, working safely and effectively with such couples to help them tackle abuse and address the important underlying factors that perpetuate the violence, while ensuring the continuation of the couple relationship itself (Antunes‐Alves & De Stefano, 2014; Goldner et al, 1990; Vetere & Cooper, 2001).…”