ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I explore ways in which children and young people who experienced domestic violence and abuse (DVA) can make positive changes to their sense of self and attachment styles, to be able to achieve a more congruent and functional sense of self and avoid repeating DVA dynamics in their adult relationships. I discuss that one of the challenges faced by practitioners working with DVA victims lies in the challenges involved in accessing their deep emotional core and changing their implicit cognitive-behavioural schemata shaped by early experiences of DVA. The evidence I discuss suggests that it is this deeper level work that is required for longer term, sustainable change.
