Using behavioral cognitive therapy to combat violence
Facing domestic violence charges in California can have a serious impact on a person’s life. Such allegations could disrupt personal relationships, compromise careers and jeopardize freedoms.
Sometimes, people can successfully take back control of their lives and rebuild others’ trust with the right help. Behavioral cognitive therapy, for example, can encourage the development of healthy methods for managing emotions.
What is BCT?
Domestic violence references a range of harmful and threatening behaviors. According to the Judicial Branch of California, domestic violence includes destroying personal property, threats, physical abuse, psychological mistreatment and unlawful detention of another person. Often, perpetrators of violence have experienced past traumas that negatively impact their emotional response to strong feelings, stress, anxiety or conflict. As such, they may turn to violence as the only way to solve problems.
BCT targets the root cause of irrational behaviors to rework emotional responses. In the safety of a controlled environment, participants can draw upon the experiences of other people to better understand their challenges. They will also work with professional therapists who can help them analyze stressful situations and identify appropriate ways to respond.
Why does BCT work?
While perpetrators of domestic violence may need to serve time to satisfy the demands of justice, a stay behind bars rarely corrects a person’s behavior. The Mayo Clinic suggests that BCT can provide education and support in a variety of areas including the following:
- Emotional trauma
- Conflict resolution
- Coping mechanisms
- Mental illness
- Phobias
BCT can provide a much more reliable and well-rounded approach to minimizing violent tendencies and empowering people to respond to conflict with control. If people facing charges of domestic violence wish to take back control of their life, they may consider BCT as an option. Working with an attorney, people may have a more successful chance of identifying ways to minimize the impact of their charges on their future.
