Intimate Partner Violence Risk Factors and Intervention Strategies for Therapists

Intimate Partner Violence Risk Factors and Intervention Strategies for Therapists

📅 Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00PM-3:00PM EST
💻 Format: Live Webinar
🎙️ Speaker: Ilana Orange
📢 Earn 3.0 Continuing Education Credit Hours
(For licensed social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists.)

Pricing

• NASW-NYS or NASW-NYC Members: $45
• NASW Other Chapter Members: $75
• Non-Members: $90
• NASW-NYS Student & Transitional Members: Non-CU FREE

Workshop Description

Women face a heightened risk of sexual assault, often perpetrated by individuals they know, rather than strangers. Research indicates that perpetrators typically follow a discernible grooming process, and studies have identified key factors that may increase a woman's vulnerability to such victimization. Additionally, research outlines distinct personality traits common among perpetrators.  Despite the wealth of information available on this subject, it has not yet significantly impacted the practices of many mental health professionals. By deepening their understanding of sexual grooming and its indicators, therapists can enhance their ability to recognize warning signs in their clients, conduct thorough risk assessments, and engage in safety planning to mitigate risks. This knowledge is crucial for fostering a safer therapeutic environment and supporting at-risk individuals with greater efficacy. 

Learning Objectives:  

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the signs of a narcissistic personality and how it manifests within intimate partner relationships. 

• Identify various sexual grooming activities a sexual perpetrator engages in before assault.  

• Identify possible victims among the caseload. 

• Use appropriate risk assessments and safety planning tools to assist in identifying and reducing the risk of sexual assault for clients in unsafe relationships. 

• As per the CDC’s recommendation on IPV prevention, “empower women to assess risky situations and respond appropriately.” 

About the Presenter

Ilana Orange LCSW, DSW Candidate at USC Suzanne Dworek-Peck SSW, is an EMDR trained trauma therapist in New York City. She has treated many victims of gender based/intimate partner sexual violence (GBV/IPSV).  Alarmed at the statistics of GBV, Ilana noticed that most graduate programs do not educate therapists specifically about GBV and most states don't mandate that therapists become trained in this topic. She also realized that almost all pre-existing trainings about GBV discuss what happens AFTER clients have already been victimized. Therefore, Ilana has set out to create prevention programming for therapists to learn about healthy intimate relationships with a focus on safety planning and risk management. This training will address how therapists can respond to vulnerable clients and what predisposes clients to risk for future violence. Included in the training will be a handy future perpetrator red flags checklist.