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Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan pp 1–19Cite as

Couples Counseling to End Intimate Partner Violence

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Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious issue plaguing couples around the world. Numerous batterer intervention programs have been developed and empirically tested. Fewer treatment models have been empirically tested to work with couples who choose to stay together after violence. The concept of conjoint treatment of couples after they have experienced any type of IPV remains controversial. This chapter addresses the history of couples counseling to end IPV, including prevalence and risk markers for IPV and the controversy surrounding this type of treatment. The chapter also provides an overview of current models of treatment and highlights the importance of clear assessment, intervention, and treatment methods that are currently being used to safely treat couples who have experienced IPV but remain committed to their relationship.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

    Sandra M. Stith & Chelsea M. Spencer

Authors
  1. Sandra M. Stith
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  2. Chelsea M. Spencer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandra M. Stith .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, Alliant International University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Robert Geffner

  2. School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensbo, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Jacquelyn W. White

  3. Dept of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    L. Kevin Hamberger

  4. Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA

    Alan Rosenbaum

  5. Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Viola Vaughan-Eden

  6. Education and Research, Zero Abuse Project, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Victor I. Vieth

Section Editor information

  1. Consultant, Alexandria, VA, USA

    Glenna Tinney

  2. College of Arts and Sciences - Society, Culture, and Language, University of South Florida - St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

    Shelly M. Wagers

  3. Department of Psychology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA

    Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling

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© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

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Stith, S.M., Spencer, C.M. (2019). Couples Counseling to End Intimate Partner Violence. In: Geffner, R., White, J.W., Hamberger, L.K., Rosenbaum, A., Vaughan-Eden, V., Vieth, V.I. (eds) Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62122-7_146-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62122-7_146-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62122-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62122-7

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