Cognitive therapy with battered women

Violence toward women by their male partners occurs so frequently that it must be considered seriously by every psychotherapist treating women clients. The paper addresses cognitive therapy with women when there has been a history of domestic violence toward them regardless of whether the danger is imminent and regardless of whether they initially identify battering as the presenting problem. Some cognitions which a woman may hold prior to the onset of abuse may contribute to an increased vulnerability once the violence occurs. A second category of cognitions develops through the battering experience itself, including perceptions of severity of abuse, attributions about the cause of the violence, and attributions about the solution to the problem. Working effectively with battered women requires not only an understanding of the dysfunctional cognitions that they may hold, but also a recognition of the dysfunctional cognitions to which therapists ascribe. It is important for a battered woman to accept responsibility for control of a solution to her victimization, not because the responsibility of the cause is hers, but because it represents empowerment over her own life. A third category of cognitions includes the negative psychological effects of violence. It is imperative to keep as the primary goal of intervention that of safety. Although dysfunctional cognitions may be important to alter, it is necessary never to lose sight of the real dangers the battered woman faces.