Control of the Self: Partner-Violent Men’s Experience of Therapy

Abstract

This study explores the experience of men who participated in programs for partner-violent men by understanding their perceptions of the treatment process, the treatment outcomes, and the meaning they attached to it. The sample included 25 men who completed these programs in agencies that specialized in treating domestic violence in Israel. A qualitative methodology was used to collect and analyze the data. The findings revealed that most of the men experienced therapy as positive and meaningful and underwent personal changes, especially the acquisition of self-control. Deeper analysis of the data, however, shows that the men still used a power scheme in understanding and creating relationships with others, especially with their woman partner. The findings are discussed in light of the complex and contradictory impact of the treatment process as it appears in the participants' experiences and in the meaning they attached to it.