A Social Justice Perspective on Domestic Violence in Intimate Partner Relationship Therapy with August Tousignant-Stanton, LCSW, LMFT

Description

Violence is one of the most difficult things to address in intimate partner relationships and is a challenge for both new and seasoned clinicians. This workshop illustrates the importance of a social justice lens when addressing domestic violence, and provides you with tools you can use in your very next intimate partner relationship session. Without a social justice perspective, clinicians miss important aspects of power and control in domestic violence, and may put victims at further risk of harm. You’ll be able to notice red flags in therapy sessions as well as assess for safety with victims of domestic violence. This workshop will also teach you how to handle ending intimate partner therapy when therapy is contraindicated due to violence. Lastly, you’ll walk away with important resources for victims of domestic violence.

Learning Objectives:

1. Delineate between a traditional systemic context of domestic violence and a social justice systemic context of domestic violence
2. Use social justice language with clients to discuss domestic violence
3. Conduct a thorough safety assessment through a social justice lens with clients to determine whether intimate-partner therapy is appropriate
4. Identify resources for clients experiencing domestic violence

August Tousignant-Stanton, LCSW, LMFT is the Program Director of Denver Family Institute, in private practice, and Clinical Faculty at Children’s Hospital of Colorado. August began her career working both as an intern and employee at Gateway Domestic Violence Services. August has worked with survivors in nearly every aspect of her work since that time, including at The Empowerment Program and Aurora Mental Health Center. August has been a guest speaker and instructor at Denver Family Institute and University of Denver on topics of domestic violence, feminist theory, social justice, experiential therapy, and trauma. As a marriage and family therapist, August believes in the healing power of relationships, and as a licensed clinical social worker, August also believes in the necessity of relationships to be safe for healing to occur.

(NBCC, APA, and AASECT CEs are available in collaboration with Advanced Mental Health Training Institute.)