Themes and Techniques in Cycles of Change in the Psychotherapy Treatment of Women Who Experienced Violence: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify and analyze cycles of change present in the psychotherapeutic treatment of women with a history of intimate partner violence. The sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed with the aid of the software TCM. Then, Theme Analysis was used for analysis of the transcribed cycles of change. There was a total of 78 cycles of change, and all therapy sessions that were analyzed produced at least one cycle of change. The main techniques were Socratic questioning, downward arrow, psychoeducation on violence and emotions, and protection skills training. The themes that were frequently reported by the participants were family relationships, gender violence, intimate partner violence, and social support. There was evidence that the protocol leads to therapeutic change, with good continuity between sessions.

Evidence of Effectiveness of a Psychotherapy Protocol for Women with a History of Intimate Partner Violence: Follow-up Study

“…Therefore, psychotherapy can be constituted as a support network for women, enabling the construction of a safe and non-violent relationship (Feder et al, 2006 ). It should be noted that interventions should also be based on socially relevant aspects that directly affect women’s rights (Zamora et al, 2020 ).…”

“…In Brazil, there are few studies related to psychotherapy protocols for women victims of IPV (Foschiera et al, 2021 ). However, there are studies on the protocol developed by Habigzang et al ( 2018 ), anchored in cognitive-behavioral therapy and consisting of 16 sessions divided into four steps: step 1 — psychoeducation on violence against women and gender relations, cognitive restructuring; step 2 — gradual exposure to traumatic memories and emotional regulation; step 3 — troubleshooting; and step 4 — consolidation of protective strategies and plans for the future (Zamora et al, 2020 ). The first version of the intervention conducted with 11 women showed a significant reduction in levels of anxiety ( r = 0.55) and depression ( r = 0.60), as well as an increase in levels of satisfaction with life ( r = 0.49), which indicated evidence for the effectiveness of the treatment for some clinical indicators.…”

“…After reformulations in the protocol, two studies were carried out with the aim of evaluating the therapeutic process. The results indicated good levels of therapeutic alliance and items characteristic of CBTs (Petersen et al, 2019 ), with at least one cycle of change identified in all sessions (Zamora et al, 2020 ). After the evaluation of the process, an impact evaluation study was carried out, in which 26 women participated.…”