Family Violence Program

The Family Violence Program is directed by Vincent B. Van Hasselt, Ph.D. He is a licensed psychologist and a clinical supervisor. Van Hasselt has more than 30 years experience as a clinical practitioner, administrator, consultant, educator, and researcher. He is author and editor of more than 200 journal articles, books, and book chapters on the problems of family violence and behaviorally disordered children and their families. Van Hasselt is editor of the Handbook of Family Violence, Behavior Therapy with Children and Adolescents: A Clinical Approach, Aggression and Violent Behavior: A Review Journal, and the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse. The Family Violence Program offers the community therapeutic interventions for issues involving all aspects of domestic violence. The program offers individual therapy focused on a wide variety of common symptoms resulting from abuse, such as depression and anxiety, as well as anger management training to help prevent domestic violence. n What is domestic violence? Domestic violence is any form of coercive action, thought, or feeling imposed on an intimate partner or spouse. Further definitions include n Physical Abuse slapping, kicking, hitting, shoving, pinching, biting, restraining, stalking, or any other means to gain control over another individual n Psychological Abuse intimidation, coercion, or threat; emotional abuse; isolation from family and friends; controlling/ withholding finances or money; using children to influence or manipulate one’s partner n Sexual Abuse any sexual behavior involving force, threat of force, or coercion The Family Violence Program Services Provided Program Director Therapeutic intervention and focus of treatment for n any victim of physical, psychological, or sexual abuse by a partner • crisis intervention and victim advocacy management • identifying and overcoming effects of abuse • empowerment for nonviolent, egalitarian life choices n any perpetrator of physical, psychological, or sexual abuse to a partner • anger management training • learning what coercive/violent behaviors are and how to identify their origins • learning and practicing alternative, nonviolent behaviors, social skills, and communication skills • changing attitudes and attributions that perpetrate coercive behaviors n individual and group anger management • therapeutic interventions for anxiety and depression related to a history of trauma or abuse