The purpose of our study was to explore the experiences of marriage and family therapists in working with violent couples. In particular, we focused on therapists' questions and feelings of competency pertaining to violence assessment and treatment, the difficulties they face during their practices, and the factors that affect their practice. Data for this study was collected via a focus group that lasted approximately an hour. The participants included five marriage and family therapists. A set of questions were used to explore experiences of therapists who were working with clients who are experiencing domestic violence. The research team recorded the answers to these questions as well as associated discussion. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze the data. Six themes were derived from the coded data: acknowledgment and reliance on systemic foundations, therapist factors, assessment, treatment considerations, sex of batterers, and training in Marriage and Family Therapy programs.
Keywords: Intimate partner violence; abuse; couple therapy; therapists experiences.