Working Therapeutically with Survivors of Sexual Violence, Domestic Abuse and Crime
1-Day Clinical Training for Therapists and Psychotherapists

Overview

Introduction

The therapist’s role is to provide a consistent, regulated, trauma-informed space in which survivors can process their experiences while the legal and safeguarding systems hold responsibility for the case.

Who Should Apply

• Counsellors and psychotherapists
• Clinical psychologists
• Counselling psychologists
• Psychotherapists in training
• Trauma therapists and private practitioners
• Therapists working in sexual violence (SV)/domestic violence (DV) services or private practice

Course Descriptors

Key Clinical Themes

1. Therapy vs. Investigation

• What belongs in the therapy room—and what does not
• Managing risk of role drift
• Working alongside statutory processes without becoming part of them

2. Trauma in Context

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD presentations
• Memory fragmentation and delayed disclosure
• Shame, dissociation and emotional numbing
• Coercive control and trauma bonding

3. Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Work

• Working with secrecy, disclosure and shame
• Relational impact of trauma
• Ongoing contact with perpetrators or systems
• Court stress and traumatisation risk

4. Holding the Clinical Space

• Emotional containment and regulation
• Working with uncertainty and stalled justice processes
• Stabilisation before processing
• Maintaining consistency under system pressure

5. Ethical and Clinical Practice Issues

• Confidentiality and information sharing
• Record-keeping in legal contexts
• Managing subpoenas and reports (where relevant)
• Boundaries when clients seek advice beyond therapy

6. Therapist Impact

• Vicarious trauma and emotional load
• Moral distress when systems fail clients
• Rescue dynamics and over-identification
• Supervision and reflective practice needs

Workshop Focus

• Understanding different conceptualisations of trauma
• Linking early attachment experiences to parenting capacity
• Integrating risk assessment into therapeutic work
• Working with denial, minimisation and resistance
• Balancing empathy, accountability and safeguarding responsibility
• Translating therapeutic insight into clear safeguarding language

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the training, participants should be able to:

• Differentiate clearly between therapeutic, safeguarding and investigative roles
• Work safely with clients involved in ongoing Garda or court processes
• Understand trauma impacts on memory, disclosure, affect regulation and relational trust
• Maintain clinical boundaries when managing disclosures of abuse or violence
• Respond therapeutically without contaminating legal or evidential processes
• Apply trauma-informed stabilisation and containment strategies
• Recognise and manage transference, rescue dynamics and role confusion
• Reflect on the emotional impact of working with high-trauma presentations

This is a high-level, practice-focused training incorporating:

• Case-based learning
• Reflective and experiential exercises
• Exploration of complex professional dilemmas
• Integration of forensic, therapeutic and social work perspectives

Certification

The College will issue a certificate of attendance to those who take this workshop.

CPD: 6 hours

Cost

The cost of the workshop is €95. (15% discount for IICP College students/alumni and VCS counsellors)

This course is part of IICP College’s Summer Series and is eligible for our 3 for 2 offer — book any two summer series workshops and get a third one free!

(Note: The discount for IICP College students, alumni and VCS counsellors cannot be used in conjunction with the 3 for 2 offer.)