Menu
Menu
Clients who are victims of domestic abuse may not be seeing you because they want to escape their abusive home or need treatment for PTSD or trauma. A client who has or is experiencing abuse may be coming to see you for marital issues, anxiety, depression or any other common symptom never revealing the underlying abuse and violence. It will be up to you to uncover their secrets and identify red flags.
How can you deliver truly effective treatment for victims of domestic violence (DV) if you never know they are in a violent relationship?
As a survivor of domestic violence and therapist for over twelve years, I can show you effective, evidence-based treatment strategies for victims of domestic violence. We will discuss strategies to help you identify red flags, get your client to open up about their abuse and develop a safety plan to help them escape their violent home.
We will also explore various therapeutic methods to help your client cope with PTSD, trauma, anxiety and other common issues. Additionally, we will discuss how to treat children who have been exposed to domestic violence and how to help them as adults.
You will never know what goes on at home when your client leaves your office. It is vital to your practice that you know how to recognize red flags and understand strategies that work to help victims of domestic violence.
| File type | File name | Number of pages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual (7.57 MB) | 54 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Joan Benz, PhD, MSW, LCSW, is a survivor of 22 years of domestic violence, and the mother of three sons who witnessed the violence. After escaping from her abusive husband, she spent several years in intensive therapy to recover from PTSD. Dr. Benz then went on to obtain an undergraduate degree in Social Work, Psychology and Sociology, an MSW from The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Louis University. Dr. Benz’s dissertation is on the “Life Experiences of Adults Who Witnessed Domestic Violence as Children.” She worked for over 10 years at a non-profit agency where she was a supervisor/ therapist working mainly with children and families that were victims of violence and/ or abuse. She has shared her personal story numerous times and used her experiences to advocate for other victims of domestic violence as a therapist, expert witness and consultant. Dr. Benz now works in private practice as a psychotherapist. Her specialties include domestic violence, couples therapy, OCD, PTSD, trauma and anxiety. Dr. Benz is also an adjunct professor in the MSW program at Washington University in St. Louis teaching Differential Diagnosis, Parent Child Interaction Therapy and Applied Behavior Therapy, and she provides several workshops each year on several topics including domestic violence, working with adolescents, clinical interventions and therapy techniques. She is president of the St. Louis Family Violence Council.
Speaker Disclosure:
Financial: Joan Benz is in private practice. She is an adjunct professor at Washington University. Ms. Benz receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Joan Benz has no relevant non-financial relationship to disclose.
Foundations of Domestic Violence (DV)
Assessment & Techniques to Help DV Victims Share their Story
Evidence-Based Treatment Interventions
Treating Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
Prevention and Education
Please wait ...