Work with family and domestic violence using EMDR therapy
On 31 March and 1 April 2026, Dolores Mosquera will lead a specialist training course on domestic and intimate partner violence.
3/26/2026
The difficulties in leaving abusive relationships are often linked to complex psychological and relational processes, such as:
Emotional barriers that hinder decision-making and self-assertion.
Feelings of guilt and inappropriate attribution of blame.
Ambivalence in assessing the relationship and the associated risks.
Traumatic bonds with the abuser, which generate emotional attachment even in the face of abuse.
Learned helplessness stemming from previous experiences of invalidation or abuse.
Understanding these factors enables clinicians to intervene effectively, avoiding simplistic explanations and promoting effective support strategies.
It is essential to distinguish between the abuser’s responsibility and the victim’s vulnerability. Violence always lies with the perpetrator, but individual vulnerabilities can make it difficult to leave the relationship and increase the risk of revictimisation.
The clinical approach should focus on:
Addressing these vulnerabilities from a therapeutic perspective.
Strengthening personal resources and promoting self-efficacy.
Facilitating an understanding of dysfunctional relationship patterns, without blaming the person being treated.
The intervention process is structured in safe, gradual phases:
Understanding the difficulties: Exploring the emotional experience, habitual defences, ambivalence and mental blocks that interfere with decision-making.
Safety and stabilisation: Developing self-care and emotional regulation strategies, increasing physical and emotional safety, and managing adaptive defences.
Trauma processing: Application of EMDR to address complex traumatic experiences: idealisation of the aggressor, addictive bonds, events of direct or vicarious violence, and other aspects that perpetuate psychological distress.
This approach allows intervention in both the obvious aspects of violence and the internal processes that hinder the person’s recovery and autonomy.
The course integrates theoretical and practical content, providing tools to:
Assess and conceptualise situations of domestic and intimate partner violence.
Identify risk factors and individual vulnerabilities.
Design personalised, trauma-informed intervention plans.
Apply stabilisation and processing techniques tailored to each case.