06/04/2024
I just finished a multi-session training program from Western University: Working with Fathers Who Cause Harm to their Families. This program was excellent.
One of the many challenges in working with this population is engaging and creating safety without colluding with abusive narratives. It can be tricky. It is not always easy to lead with empathy when working with someone who has created fear and suffering and fails (or refuses) to recognize it. A court order for treatment might keep them in the room, but it takes the ability to create genuine engagement if you want to get them on the couch.
In this work, there is a place for patience and a place to roll with resistance, but at all times, there must be the ability to recognize levels of risk, deescalate aggressiveness, and respond when risk persists or increases.
While the goal for treatment is a decrease in abusive behavior, at the center of this work is the safety and well-being of children and their primary caregivers, even if dad doesn’t change. For me, that makes all the difference.
