This workshop, which would be especially relevant for psychotherapists, counsellors and psychologists aims to enhance our comprehension of the spectrum of DA, its impact and long-term effects on survivors. Our goal at this workshop is to examine how, as practitioners, we can work effectively using the principles of the Power Threat Meaning Framework and Trauma Informed Practice, psychoeducation and stabilisation to restore control and to allow for the processing of the DA narrative.

To understand the spectrum of DA, the workshop will look at small, subtle yet incremental forms of coercive and controlling behaviour such as love bombing, gaslighting, thought control, deception, and lying – which are used to distort reality and gain control over the partner, making it hard to legitimise the abuse. The focus will be on the dynamics of coercive, controlling and emotional abuse and how the use of blame, shame and humiliation silences those who are being domestically abused.

The workshop will also explore:

• How these more subtle forms of abuse can precede a range of domestically abusive behaviours with a view to identifying those most at risk of DA
• The processes involved in DA such as grooming victims, the cycle of abuse, the role of dissociation and thought blindness that supports the trauma bond which binds the couple
• The role of attachment and fear of abandonment that underpins much of DA and how this manifests relationally, both for the couple and practitioners working with DA
• The importance of the therapeutic relationship in restoring relational worth, mitigating the de-humanising effects of DA and restoring autonomy and self-agency

By identifying the challenges of working with DA and introducing a range of therapeutic skills, practitioners will feel more equipped when working with survivors of DA and will enhance their comprehension of the transformative effects of post traumatic growth for both clients and ourselves.

Specifically we will discuss:

• The nature and dynamics of DA, such as the role of charm and love bombing, gaslighting and deception used to entice victims
• The nature of coercive and controlling behaviour, the use of thought control and thought blindness to distort reality that facilitates the trauma bond and the role of silence, secrecy and shame
• The intergenerational transmission of DA through attachment and relational deficits
• The characteristics of male and female perpetrators
• DA as complex trauma and its psychobiological impact
• The long-term effects of DA on partners and children
• Obstacles to leaving an abusive relationship
• The importance of developing safety plans when leaving
• The principles of the power threat meaning framework and trauma informed practice model when working with survivors of DA
• The role of the therapeutic relationship in restoring power and control, autonomy, choice and self-agency
• The impact of working with DA on practitioners and the role of self-care

© nscience 2022 / 23