Approved CE Provider for:Â
Could well-intended therapeutic interventions unintentionally escalate lethality risk for clients experiencing domestic violence?
Domestic Violence Typologies & Ethical Practice is a must-have training for therapists in private practice who want to confidently navigate the complex intersection of clinical care, safety, and ethics when working with individuals, couples, or families impacted by domestic violence.
In this powerful and practical course, you'll learn to identify the four typologies of domestic violence, how to screen effectively (even when your clients don’t explicitly disclose), and why the wrong intervention—such as couples therapy—can do more harm than good. You’ll also gain insight into ethical responsibilities for mandated reporting, documentation, supervision, and court involvement with guidance grounded in real-world scenarios and legal considerations.
Whether you work with individuals, families, or couples, this training will help you adopt a comprehensive approach to domestic violence based on clinical integrity and a commitment to client safety.
ENROLL NOWProgram OverviewÂ
Domestic Violence Typologies & Ethical Practice" is continuing education for licensed therapists in private practice. The course explores the complexities of domestic violence (DV) with a focus on ethical decision-making, screening, intervention, and legal responsibilities. Participants are introduced to Michael Johnson’s typologies of DV—Intimate Terrorism (Coercive Controlling Violence), Violent Resistance, Situational Couple Violence, and Mutual Violent Control—and learn how these distinctions impact clinical decision-making and safety considerations. Emphasis is placed on ethical screening practices, avoiding harmful interventions (such as couples therapy in coercive control cases), effective collaboration with DV agencies, and understanding the therapist's role in court-involved cases, child abuse reporting, and supervision. The training highlights the therapist's ethical obligation to understand power dynamics and avoid inadvertently perpetuating harm through misguided interventions.
Program Learning Objectives
Differentiate between four key domestic violence typologies and explain how these distinctions inform appropriate therapeutic interventions.
Apply effective and ethical screening strategies for identifying domestic violence, including considerations for privacy, specificity, and ongoing assessment.
Describe the contraindications for couples or family therapy in cases involving coercive control and outline safer alternatives.
Identify legal and ethical responsibilities related to mandated reporting, documentation, supervision, and collaboration in domestic violence cases, including navigating child custody disputes and court involvement.
About BrandiÂ
Brandi Morgan Matthews, LMFT-S, Attorney at Law
As an LMFT-S and Attorney in Oklahoma, I previously founded and owned a multi-location group therapy practice for more than a decade. During my 15 years of practice as a therapist, I specialized in working with children and families in the context of divorce and custody matters. Since 2010, I have practiced law focused exclusively on the areas of: (1) child advocacy, including serving as a court-appointed guardian ad litem and parenting coordinator; and (2) legal consultation and representation for mental health professionals.
Today, my law practice focuses exclusively on serving mental health professionals in Oklahoma. Consultations include all issues related to the practice of therapy such as responding to subpoenas, court orders, records requests, and licensing board complaints to complex legal issues including suicide and homicide assessment, child abuse reporting, and domestic violence.
Through my years of experience as an attorney and mental health professional, I have consistently seen the need for quality continuing education on legal and ethical issues to help therapists proactively address and avoid costly legal issues--especially for therapists in private practice. To fill that need, my continuing education programs are dedicated to helping therapists build legally sound, profitable, streamlined, and sustainable businesses that make a significant impact--without the overwhelm, exhaustion, and burnout that is all too common to our profession.