Course completed: Working with family and domestic violence using EMDR therapy
On 31 March and 1 April 2026, Dolores Mosquera delivered a specialist training course on domestic and intimate partner violence.
4/1/2026
This course addressed the difficulties many people face in leaving abusive relationships, focusing on the psychological and relational processes that perpetuate them.
Throughout the training, factors such as emotional blocks, feelings of guilt, ambivalence in assessing the relationship, traumatic bonds with the abuser and learned helplessness were analysed. Understanding these elements allowed for a more tailored clinical intervention, moving away from simplistic explanations.
The importance of clearly differentiating between the abuser’s responsibility and the victim’s vulnerability was emphasised, highlighting that the blame for violence always lies with the perpetrator, even if there are factors that make it difficult to leave the relationship.
The clinical approach presented focused on addressing vulnerabilities from a therapeutic perspective, strengthening personal resources, and facilitating an understanding of dysfunctional relationship patterns without blaming the person receiving care.
During the course, an intervention model was developed, structured in safe and gradual phases. Firstly, the focus was on understanding the difficulties, exploring the emotional experience, common defence mechanisms and barriers to decision-making. Next, safety and stabilisation strategies were worked on, including self-care, emotional regulation and the reinforcement of physical and psychological safety. Finally, trauma processing using EMDR was introduced, applied to aspects such as idealisation of the abuser, addictive-type bonds and experiences of direct or indirect violence.
The training combined theoretical and practical content, providing tools to assess and conceptualise situations of violence within the family and intimate partner context, identify risk factors, and design personalised intervention plans from a trauma-informed perspective. Furthermore, stabilisation and processing techniques adapted to different clinical profiles were addressed.