The Effect of Value Conflicts on Therapists' Work with Abusive Clients

Abstract

Conflicting values derived from various systems within therapists' lives may inadvertently affect the treatment of intimate partner violence. This qualitative study examined the value and belief systems influencing marriage and family therapists' (MFTs) response to partner abuse as well as the ecological factors that informed these values. Four major themes emerged from in-depth interviews with MFT trainees: focus on the couple, systemic conceptualization of partner abuse, feminist conceptualization of partner abuse, and influence of culture. Implications are discussed for MFTs and training programs in terms of more directed and applied self-work, addressing values related to difficult issues such as partner abuse, and the need for clarified integration of feminist tenets in clinical training programs. doi:10.1300/J086vl9n02_03

Key Words:

• Intimate partner violence
• values
• reactivity
• self-of-the -therapist
• training
• ecology