ABSTRACT
Behavioral couples therapy for alcoholism and drug abuse (BCT; O’Farrell & Fals-Stewart, 2000) has encountered the problem of domestic violence. While BCT does not hold violent behavior as an a priori intervention target, it is a component of the BCT assessment strategy and, when present, is attended to in treatment. While designed for substance-abusing clients, we have found that BCT demonstrably reduces the frequency and intensity of male-to-female violence. This chapter describes and clarifies the role of BCT in treating partner violence among men seeking treatment for alcoholism and drug abuse, as well as discusses general clinical issues in intervention for intimate violence and addiction problems. We conclude with a plea for reliance on evidence rather than ideology to guide interventions for the combined problems of intimate violence and addiction so that best practices may be consonant with evidence-based therapy.
