A Marriage Therapist's Blog

 

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May 24

Domestic Violence: Alive and Well (Unfortunately)

By Jay Slupesky
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Domestic Violence, Marriage Dynamics

SuspicionYou might think that in California, in the 21st century, we would be smart enough, educated enough, and advanced enough that domestic violence would be a thing of the past.

You would be wrong.

I saw many victims of domestic violence during the year that I was an intern at Tri-Valley Haven for Women, a domestic violence shelter in Livermore. “The Haven,” as it is called by those who work there, is a valuable resource to the community because it houses, counsels, educates, and assists women who have been beaten by their husbands or boyfriends.

Now that I’m in private practice as a marriage counselor, I still occasionally encounter domestic violence in the couples that I work with. When that happens, I tell the man that he has to make a commitment to non-violence as long as the couple is in counseling with me. If the violence continues, I won’t see the couple together but may work with them individually.

By the way, some people wonder why so many women stay with men who beat them. That’s a great question, and I will answer it in my next post.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, May 24th, 2008 at 3:07 pm and is filed under Domestic Violence, Marriage Dynamics.

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