Dialogues in Partner Abusive Clients' Group Treatment: Conversational Tools Used by Counselors With Differently Motivated Clients

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated talk and interaction as process factors potentially influencing outcomes in abuser group intervention. The findings showed that (a) abusers participate in group programs with considerably different degrees of motivation; (b) the interaction in abusers’ various stages of change is characterized by different qualities; and (c) group counselors face a challenge in adapting their ways of working to abusers’ various needs and backgrounds. The findings demonstrate the importance of attending to the interactional elements in abuser treatment programs, and show the value of matching an abuser’s needs and degree of motivation with the timing of interventions. It is argued that attention to all these matters could help in making abuser programs more effective.