Counseling Methods for Battered Women

Domestic violence is a serious issue that can lead to permanent damage for both the battered woman and any children that may be involved as well. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in ever four women experience domestic violence. Approximately 1.3 million women are physically abused by their partner each year. Men are abused less frequently than women and make up only 15 percent of total abuse cases. Children who witness violence between their parents are twice as likely to commit domestic violence as adults. Therapy with abused women must be handled sensitively and deliberately.

Awareness

• Therapy must include increasing awareness so that women know that the behaviors committed against them are wrong. Often battered women are not aware that the abuse they are facing is out of the ordinary or inappropriate. Batterers may claim to be remorseful after an attack or bring gifts and beg for forgiveness. Women must learn that these behaviors do not constitute a healthy relationship.

Signs

• Women must learn to recognize the signs of abuse. The batterer may have extremely high expectations of the woman, demanding near perfection at all times. He may be jealous and want to know where the woman is going and who she is with whenever she leaves the house. He may put pressure on his partner to do things she is not comfortable with and isolate her from the outside world. Each of these behaviors may be red flags for the woman that she is in an abusive relationship.

Safety Plan

• The therapist will need to help the battered woman develop a safety plan if she decides to leave her abusive partner. This will include planning an escape route out of the home and making sure that her children are aware of it, too. She must think of a safe place to go once she escapes where her partner will not be able to hurt her. She must also pack a bag with all of the needed documents for her family such as passports, birth certificates and medical records and put it somewhere she can grab it quickly. The woman should notify neighbors to call the police if they see the abuser at her house. Mothers need to make sure their children are aware of any plans that are made and that they know to call 911 in the case of an emergency.

Effects

• Women who are abused may face a variety of mental health effects as a result of the abuse. They may experience depression or anxiety. Panic attacks may strike as a result of having to "walk on egg shells" whenever the batterer is nearby. Post traumatic stress disorder may occur after physical attacks and endure even after the woman has left the abusive relationships. She may continue to have nightmares and be afraid when she is alone in public or at night. Women may also resort to substance abuse as a way of coping. Any of these co-occurring issues also need to be treated during therapy.

Therapy

• Various forms of therapy are helpful for women who have been abused. Group therapy will allow women to receive feedback regarding how they relate to others. This may shed light on the behaviors and personality traits that led the women to be attracted to an abuser to begin with. Individual therapy is also necessary so that women can grieve the shattered hopes they may have. Psychodynamic and Family Systems therapy can be used to examine the woman's childhood and family background. Family therapy may also be helpful for mothers and children to figure out how to move forward. Support groups and medication might be needed as adjuncts to the therapy process.