Reflection and Action Groups: A therapeutic program with women victims of intimate violence

Abstract

Reflection and Action Groups: A therapeutic program with women victims of intimate violence
This paper describes the implementation and assessment of a feminist psycotherapeutic intervention with four groups of women victims of partner violence. The main goals guiding this intervention were: 1) to inform about the phenomenon of gender violence, 2) to deconstruct discourses on gender, 3) to reflect on meanings and the impact of personal trajectories of victimization and 4) promote empowerment and personal and social agency. This program was conducted with four groups of women, coming from different regions in the North of Portugal, in a total of 23 participants aged between 29 and 61 years old (M=45.93; SD=9.13). For assessing the effectiveness of this group intervention, several measures were applied: the Inventory of Violent Experiences in Personal Relationships, the Personal Progress Scale and the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2. Results evidence significant gains in the psychological well being and empowerment of these participants.