This practical text offers professional guidance on stopping domestic violence in couples and
families and promoting healing and safety in its aftermath. Rich in theoretical diversity
(attachment trauma feminist narrative) and inclusive of family structures and forms of
violence the coverage takes an approach to understanding both complex circumstances and
intervening with families. The tasks of healing from reestablishing trust to fostering
positive coping are clearly linked to effects of abuse such as unresolved loss blunted trauma
responses poor emotion regulation and damaged relational esteem. And because sustained safety
is crucial to well-being the authors extend their concepts of safety to include professionals'
own experience security and self-care.Among the topics covered:· Living with violence in the
family: retrospective recall of women's childhood experiences.· How to help stop the violence:
using a safety methodology acrossthe life span.· Helping couples separate safely: working
towards safe separations.· Healing and repair in relationships: working therapeutically with
couples.· Working systemically with parents children and adult survivors when the abuse
stops.· Supervision and consultation with practitioners who intervene with families and
trauma.Intervening After Violence: Therapy for Couples and Families is an essential resource
for social workers and mental health professionals engaged in clinical practice seeking
strategies for working therapeutically and systematically with couples and families coping with
physical and emotional violence.
