Breaking Through Resistance – Building Resilience with Forensic Clients
Session 1: Understanding Resistance in Clients
Learning Objectives:
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Identify psychological and behavioral factors contributing to resistance in court-mandated clients.
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Explore how trauma, shame, fear, and systemic mistrust manifest in resistant behaviors.
Session Content:
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Explore common reasons for resistance, including fear, shame, distrust, and trauma.
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Discuss behavioral signs of resistance, such as avoidance, defensiveness, or dismissiveness.
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Highlight how systemic and cultural factors may exacerbate resistance (e.g., mistrust of authority, language barriers).
Victim Impact Integration:
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When resistance is misinterpreted, clinicians may miss the opportunity to intervene and reduce recidivism—thereby compromising victim safety.
Session 2: Reframing Resistance as Strength
Learning Objectives:
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Teach participants to view resistance as an opportunity for client growth and empowerment.
Session Content:
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Understand the underlying needs driving resistance (e.g., the need for autonomy, self-protection).
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Strategies for reinterpreting resistance as resilience or strength.
Victim Impact Integration:
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Clients who feel empowered rather than punished are more likely to take responsibility for their behavior and reduce future harm.
Session 3: Building Skills to Manage Challenging Behaviors
Learning Objectives:
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Equip participants with practical tools to effectively manage and redirect resistant behaviors.
Session Content:
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Introduction to Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques:
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Reflective listening to validate client emotions.
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Open-ended questions to explore ambivalence.
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Affirmations to encourage self-efficacy.
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Overview of person-centered approaches:
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Demonstrating empathy and unconditional positive regard.
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Empowering clients to take ownership of their progress.
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Victim Impact Integration:
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Clients who are engaged in non-shaming dialogue are more open to acknowledging harm and committing to change.
Decoding Domestic Violence – Understanding Typologies for Targeted Interventions
Session 1: Overview of Domestic Violence (DV) Typologies
Learning Objectives:
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Understand the distinctions between various DV typologies, such as coercive control, situational violence, reactive violence, pathological violence, and mutual couple’s violence.
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Recognize how typologies inform evaluations and treatment approaches.
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Explore examples of how DV typologies manifest in diverse situations and the importance of distinguishing/accurately assessing them during intake/evaluation processes.
Session Content Highlights:
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Coercive Control:
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Intimate Terrorism (IT)
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Situational Couple Violence (SCV)
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Violent Resistance (VR)
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Mutual Violent Control (MVC)
Dr. Ellen Pence & Dr. Shamita Das Dasgupta’s IPV Typologies (Praxis International, 2006)
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Battering (Coercive Control)
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Resistive/Reactive Violence
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Situational Violence
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Pathological Violence
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Anti-Social Violence
Transforming Practice – Avoiding Common Clinical Mistakes in DV Counseling
Session 1: Identifying Barriers to Success in DV Counseling
Learning Objectives:
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Analyze common mistakes in DV counseling that hinder progress.
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Explore evidence-based strategies to overcome these barriers.
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Develop a proactive mindset to create impactful treatment plans tailored to client needs.
Session Content Highlights:
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Overemphasis on Compliance Rather Than Engagement
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Underestimating the Role of Accountability and Insight
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Allowing Personal Bias to Interfere with Treatment Progress
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Failing to Connect Treatment Plans with Client-Specific Risk Factors
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Neglecting the Importance of Ongoing Client Buy-In and Collaboration
Session 2: Adopting Evidence-Based Strategies
Learning Objectives:
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Apply advanced strategies to address identified barriers.
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Integrate client-specific risk factors into treatment planning.
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Foster a culture of accountability and collaboration in DV counseling.
Expanded Content Highlights:
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Engagement Over Compliance
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Insight-Driven Interventions
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Bias Mitigation
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Normalize the shame and stigma that court-ordered clients often feel.
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Use reflective practice to examine personal assumptions and emotional reactions.
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Choose person-centered, non-stigmatizing language (e.g., "client" vs. "offender").
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Avoid moralizing; use Motivational Interviewing to explore client readiness for change.
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Understand and respect the client’s cultural and lived experiences.
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Reframe perceived resistance as fear, shame, or lack of trust—not defiance.
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Avoid labeling clients as “non-amenable to treatment.”
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Practice compassionate curiosity (“What happened to them?” vs. “What’s wrong with them?”).
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Use open-ended questions to invite client reflection and engagement.
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Be transparent and consistent with structure and expectations to promote safety.
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Risk-Based Treatment Planning
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Case Examples: Illustrate how risk factors influence treatment goals (e.g., substance use, coercive control).
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Strengths-Based Balance: Highlight the importance of integrating protective factors alongside risk reduction.
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Victim Impact Integration: Plans should account for victim safety measures, such as supervised exchanges or parenting time restrictions.
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Sustaining Collaboration
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Techniques: Create mechanisms for ongoing client feedback and collaborative goal adjustments.
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Use treatment plan reviews to assess progress, adapt goals, and validate growth.
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Countertransference – Managing Reactions for Clinical Success
Session 1: Understanding Countertransference
Learning Objectives:
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Define countertransference and its relevance in working with domestic violence (DV) offenders.
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Identify personal emotional responses and their impact on clinical effectiveness.
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Explore strategies to manage countertransference to maintain professionalism and emotional balance.
Session Content Highlights:
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What is Countertransference?
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Common Countertransference Reactions in DV Counseling
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Impact on Counselor, Client, and Outcomes
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Recognizing Countertransference
Session 2: Managing Countertransference Effectively
Learning Objectives:
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Develop practical techniques to manage emotional reactions.
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Learn how to maintain professionalism while fostering empathy.
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Build resilience and emotional regulation skills for long-term effectiveness.
Session Content Highlights:
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Mindfulness and Reflection
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Supervision and Support
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Setting and Maintaining Boundaries
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Building Emotional Resilience
From Resistance to Rapport – Applying MI, CBT, and Person-Centered Methods in DV Counseling
Session 1: Understanding Resistance in DV Counseling
Learning Objectives:
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Identify common forms of resistance in clients mandated to DV counseling.
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Understand the underlying causes of defensiveness and disengagement.
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Explore how MI, CBT, and Person-Centered approaches address resistance effectively.
Session Content Highlights:
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Recognizing Resistance
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Impact on Outcomes
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Overview of Evidence-Based Approaches
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Motivational Interviewing (MI): Enhances internal motivation.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Identifies and restructures distorted thoughts.
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Person-Centered Methods: Builds trust through empathy and respect.
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Session 2: Building Rapport Through Advanced Techniques
Learning Objectives:
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Master advanced MI techniques to reduce defensiveness.
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Learn how CBT tools address distorted thinking patterns.
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Apply Person-Centered Approaches to foster a collaborative therapeutic alliance.
Session Content Highlights:
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Advanced MI Techniques
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Double-Sided Reflection: Acknowledge ambivalence.
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Decisional Balance: Weigh pros/cons of change.
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Eliciting Change Talk: Invite self-motivated reflection.
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Amplified Reflection: Highlight internal contradictions.
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CBT for Cognitive Distortions
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Common distortions: Justification, minimization, blame.
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Tools: Thought records, Socratic questioning, behavioral experiments.
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Person-Centered Application
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Key principles: Empathy, unconditional regard, congruence.
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Practice: Create safe space for reflection and accountability.
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Implementing The Care Method in Your DV Counseling Practice
Session 1: Introducing The Care Method Framework
Learning Objectives:
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Describe the foundational principles and goals of The Care Method.
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Understand the structure of the curriculum and its clinical application.
Content Highlights:
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The Care Method integrates CBT, MI, and Person-Centered therapy in a trauma-informed, culturally aware framework.
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Clients use their own workbook, and counselors are guided by a detailed manual.
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Emphasis on engagement, reflection, accountability, and relationship skills.
Session 2: Why This Model Works – Theoretical Integration in Practice
Learning Objectives:
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Explain the clinical benefits of integrating CBT, MI, and Person-Centered Therapy.
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Recognize why this model is especially effective with DV clients.
Content Highlights:
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MI addresses ambivalence and builds motivation.
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CBT helps restructure distorted thinking patterns.
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Person-Centered creates safety and trust.
Session 3: Orienting Clients to The Care Method
Learning Objectives:
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Learn how to introduce the curriculum and build early buy-in.
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Identify key talking points for framing client expectations.
Content Highlights:
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Sample script: “You won’t just be told what’s wrong—you’ll be guided to understand your patterns and build something better.”
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Help clients feel safe to participate and engage.
Session 4: Understanding the Chapter and Group Structure
Learning Objectives:
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Understand how to structure weekly group sessions using the workbook.
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Learn how to integrate psychoeducation, discussion, and homework review.
Content Highlights:
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Each chapter includes: Psychoeducation, group discussion, reflection, and structured homework.
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Group facilitation tips: Encourage accountability, use client responses to open deeper dialogue.
Session 5: Tailoring and Sustaining The Care Method in Practice
Learning Objectives:
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Demonstrate how to adapt and sustain the curriculum within agency or private practice.
Content Highlights:
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How to track progress through TPRs, client surveys, and workbook.
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Address common challenges (e.g., missed homework, resistance to reflection).
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Align treatment with agency compliance while maintaining therapeutic depth.
