By Anusha Zechella, Ph.D., HSP-P
As a clinical psychologist who has worked with survivors of domestic and interpersonal violence, October is a particularly meaningful time as it constitutes Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is always a time I move from private practice into public witness. It’s a month to name what too often stays hidden, to hold survivors and their loved ones in our collective awareness, and to recommit to prevention, safety, and healing.
I want to offer a clinician’s perspective on why this month is important, the scale of the problem, how broader social stressors are intensifying relationship strain, and how therapy can help during this time of collective tension.
The Scope of Domestic Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) and domestic abuse are widespread. Large national surveys show that a substantial share of the population experiences partner sexual violence, physical violence, stalking, or psychological aggression in their lifetimes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). These are not isolated incidents — they affect millions of people and cut across age, race, gender, class, and sexual orientation.
The CDC reports that more than 61 million women and 53 million men in the U.S. have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner (CDC, 2024). The World Health Organization (2021) estimates that nearly one in three women worldwide experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetimes.
Because the problem is so common, Domestic Violence Awareness Month is not only about compassion; it’s about public health and community responsibility. Naming the problem publicly reduces isolation, makes help-seeking more likely, and signals to survivors that their experiences are valid and worthy of support (Congress.gov, 2024).
Community-Level Stress and Political Tension
Violence in relationships does not occur in a vacuum. Broader stressors — economic instability, social isolation, and community-level tension — increase both the frequency and severity of IPV (Evans, Lindauer, & Farrell, 2020; Piquero, Jennings, Jemison, Kaukinen, & Knaul, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic provides a stark example: lockdowns, job losses, housing insecurity, and reduced access to support services coincided with increases in intimate partner violence and spikes in calls to hotlines and shelters (Jetelina, Knell, & Molsberry, 2021). Research consistently finds that when communities are under collective stress, household conflict intensifies, and those in already coercive relationships face heightened risk (Evans et al., 2020).
Beyond the pandemic, political polarization and societal unrest also take a toll. Chronic exposure to divisive rhetoric and national tension has been linked to increased stress, emotional reactivity, and strain within personal relationships. In therapy sessions, many clients describe feeling constantly “on edge,” carrying stress from the political climate into their family dynamics. While political disagreement itself doesn’t cause domestic violence, the heightened emotional volatility of our times can exacerbate patterns of control, anger, and disconnection.
Understanding Domestic Violence
Domestic violence takes many forms beyond physical assault — including coercive control, financial manipulation, verbal degradation, and psychological abuse. Emotional abuse is particularly insidious because it can be persistent, subtle, and gaslighting — making survivors question their own memory and worth.
The long-term consequences can include post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and chronic health issues such as hypertension and pain syndromes. Both men and women experience IPV, though patterns of frequency and lethality differ by gender. Recognizing the full spectrum of abuse and ways that it can occur across all genders can help clinicians and communities respond with nuance and care.
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it provides critical support for survivors, families, and individuals seeking to heal or change harmful relationship patterns.
Clinically, there are several key ways therapy can help during this time:
1. Safety Planning and Risk Assessment: Clinicians trained in trauma- and domestic violence-informed care can assist survivors in creating personalized safety plans, identifying risks, and connecting them to emergency resources (CDC, 2024).
2. Trauma-Focused Treatment: Evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Psychodynamic approaches help survivors process traumatic memories, reduce hypervigilance, and reclaim a sense of agency (Evans et al., 2020).
3. Psychoeducation and Normalization: Therapists help survivors understand the dynamics of power and control, recognize cycles of abuse, and reduce self-blame.
4. Emotional Regulation and Coping Skills: Through grounding, mindfulness, and distress tolerance techniques, therapy helps manage triggers and rebuild a sense of safety in the body.
5. Support for Children and Families: Children exposed to domestic violence often internalize fear and chaos. Family-based therapy and parent coaching can help interrupt the intergenerational transmission of trauma.
6. Systems Navigation and Advocacy: Clinicians can serve as bridges between survivors and essential resources — such as legal aid, housing programs, and medical care — ensuring continuity of support and protection.
Importantly, couples therapy should not be used when violence is ongoing. Joint sessions can increase risk by giving abusers more power. Therapy must prioritize survivor safety first, always.
A Clinician’s Plea: Awareness Must Be Matched by Action
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is vital because it centers attention on a problem that flourishes in silence. Awareness alone won’t end abuse — but awareness combined with accessible services, strong policy, and trauma-informed care can reduce harm and promote recovery.
As clinicians, this month is an opportunity to examine our own practices:
- Are our intake forms trauma-informed?
- Do we have relationships with local shelters and advocacy organizations?
- Are we equipped to respond safely when a client discloses abuse?
And as community members, we can all play a part. Offer nonjudgmental listening, share hotline information, and challenge myths that normalize control or aggression.
Finally, to survivors reading this: You are not alone. Help is available, and healing is possible.
Resources
At Breyta Psychological Services, we put these principles of domestic violence awareness into practice every day given that we are a trauma specialty practice. Our commitment to trauma-informed care extends beyond awareness; it is embedded in how we operate, train, and connect. Our clinicians routinely review and refine intake procedures to ensure they are sensitive to disclosures of abuse and psychological safety. We maintain close relationships with local advocacy organizations, legal resources, and shelters so clients can access coordinated, wrap-around support. Our team engages in continuing education focused on evidence-based trauma treatments, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure, and regularly consults on complex cases to ensure survivors receive care grounded in both compassion and science. This integration of clinical rigor and human warmth allows us to respond swiftly, safely, and effectively when clients face relationship violence — transforming awareness into action, and action into healing.
To request an appointment with one of our trauma-informed psychologists, click here, or call (919) 245-7791 x5 for more information. You can read more about our skilled team of doctoral-level psychologists in Raleigh, NC who specialize in the assessment and treatment of psychological trauma and PTSD on our team page.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or local emergency services.
For confidential, 24/7 support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline offers assistance by phone, chat, or text. Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788 (National Domestic Violence Hotline, n.d.). Trained advocates can help with safety planning, shelter connections, and legal options.
For more information on national statistics and prevention strategies, visit the CDC’s Intimate Partner Violence Prevention page.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2016/2017 Report on Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence by Sexual Orientation. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/datasources/nisvs/index.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Preventing intimate partner violence. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html
- Evans, M. L., Lindauer, M., & Farrell, M. E. (2020). A pandemic within a pandemic — Intimate partner violence during COVID-19. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(24), 2302–2304. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2024046
- Jetelina, K. K., Knell, G., & Molsberry, R. J. (2021). Changes in intimate partner violence during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Violence and Gender, 8(3), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1089/vio.2020.0066
- National Domestic Violence Hotline. (n.d.). Get help today. https://www.thehotline.org/
- Piquero, A. R., Jennings, W. G., Jemison, E., Kaukinen, C., & Knaul, F. M. (2021). Domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic — Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 74, 101806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2021.101806
- World Health Organization. (2021). Violence against women prevalence estimates, 2018. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240022256
About the Author
Dr. Anusha Zechella is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Clinical Director at Breyta Psychological Services, P.A. She provides therapy to individuals, couples, and families using an integrative, evidence-based approach grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Dr. Zechella specializes in trauma, relationship concerns, and life transitions, helping clients build safety, clarity, and connection in their lives. Before joining Breyta, she served as Director of the Sexual Assault Clinic at the University of Cincinnati, providing care to individuals who identified as survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct, or assault. Dr. Zechella holds a PSYPACT credential, allowing her to provide telehealth services to clients in most participating states. You can check PSYPACT status here to see if your state is included.