Responding to Family Violence

The comprehensive theory- and research-based guidelines provided in this text help answer the personal and professional questions therapists have as they provide competent clinical treatment to clients who have experienced family violence. It presents academic, scholarly, and statistical terms in an accessible and user-friendly way, with useful take-away points for practitioners such as clarifying contradictory findings, summarizing major research-based implications and guidelines, and addressing the unique clinical challenges faced by mental health professionals. Both professionals and students in graduate-level mental health training programs will find the presentation of information and exercises highly useful, and will appreciate the breadth of topics covered: intimate partner violence, battering, child maltreatment and adult survivors, co-occurring substance abuse, the abuse of vulnerable populations, cultural issues, prevention, and self-care. Professionals and students alike will find that, with this book, they can help their clients overcome the significant traumas and challenges they face to let their strength and resilience shine through.

Christine E. Murray, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). She is also the Program Director for the Program to Advance Community Responses to Violence Against Women in the UNCG Center for Women's Health and Wellness. Kelly N. Graves, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Services at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT), and the Executive Director of the NCAT Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness.

Kaslow, Foreword. Overview of a Research-Informed Approach to Responding to Family Violence. Intimate Partner Violence: Background and Overview of Response Systems. Guidelines for the Assessment of Intimate Partner Violence. Treatment for Battering. Conjoint Treatment for Couples who have Experienced IPV. Child Maltreatment: Background and Overview of Response Systems. Guidelines for the Assessment of Child Maltreatment. Therapy to Address Child Maltreatment. Treatment of Adult Survivors of Childhood Maltreatment. Abuse of Vulnerable Populations. Family Violence and Co-occurring Substance Abuse. Family Violence and Cultural Issues. Family Violence Prevention. Self-care for Therapists Working with Clients Impacted by Family Violence. Conclusion: The Role of Mental Health Professionals in Responding to Family Violence.