Dark domestic room symbolising violence in family
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Dark domestic room symbolising violence in family

Sexual Violence in Couple and Family Relationships: Turning a Blind Eye

A Special Online Event in Collaboration with Couple and Family Psychoanalysis & TRAPC

With Wayne Bodkin, Damian McCann, Anna Motz, Ariel Nathanson & Lorna Robinson (Chair)

Despite increasing concern about domestic abuse, sexual violence within couple and family relationships often remains hidden, is often unreported and is little understood. In this three-hour recoring, we explore the nature, the extent, the causes and the treatment interventions relating to sexual violence with some of the leading practitioners and thinkers in the field.

Anna Motz outlines her ground-breaking work on the role of women as intimate partner terrorists, in conversation with Wayne Bodkin. Based on his experience in working with both perpetrators and victims, Ariel Nathanson describes how domestic violence can impact on the development of young boys, in conversation with Damian McCann. The recording concludes with a panel bringing together these ideas and expanding the focus.

This is offered in collaboration with Couple and Family Psychoanalysis, and is based on the Spring 2024 issue of the journal in which the papers originate. This event is run in association with Tavistock Relationships Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors (TRAPC).

https://tavistockrelationships.org/journal-of-couple-and-family-psychoanalysis

Programme

Introductions and Housekeeping 
Female Perpetrators in Intimate Partner Violence: Perverse Safe Havens

With Anna Motz and respondent Wayne Bodkin

Anna Motz will outline the often-neglected role of women as intimate partner terrorists within relationships. She will explore the ways female aggression is manifested through psychological as well as physical intimidation. Using clinical vignettes, she will discuss the development of toxic dynamics, the ways early traumatic experience can create destructive re-enactments, and how violent destructive dynamics can serve as ‘perverse safe havens’ within couples and families. The role of animal cruelty is discussed, including the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse.

Break 
Just Like His Dad? Understanding the Impact of Childhood Experiences of Domestic Violence

With Ariel Nathanson and respondent Damian McCann

Ariel Nathanson will explore the various ways domestic violence can impact on the development of young boys who later present with a variety of psychopathologies. He will describe how, in the aftermath of domestic violence, young boys can be thrust into the vacancies left by their violent fathers, trapped within an identity best described ‘just like his dad’. Without environmental changes that restore safety, benign experiences of aggression, boundaries and intimacy, the boys who do not develop into being violent themselves do so by deploying various psychological solutions such as depression, perversion and becoming carers. 

Q&A with Anna Motz, Wayne Bodkin, Ariel Nathanson and Damian McCann, chaired by Lorna Robinson 
End 

Damian McCann

Damian McCann D.Sys.Psych. is a psychoanalytic couple psychotherapist working as visiting lecturer at Tavistock Relationships, London, adjunct faculty member of the International Psychotherapy Institute (IPI) Washington, DC, an associate of Queen Anne Street Practice, London, and an editorial board member of Couple & Family Psychoanalysis, He is also a consultant systemic psychotherapist with many years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families. He has a particular interest in working with gender and sexual diversity in psychoanalytic practice and has published and taught widely on this topic. His doctoral research was concerned with understanding the meaning and impact of violence in the couple relationships of gay men and is involved in developing approaches to working with couples more generally in which there is violence and abuse. His edited book ‘Same-Sex Couples and Other Identities: Psychoanalytic Perspectives’ was published by Routledge in 2021.

Anna Motz

Anna Motz is a consultant clinical and forensic psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist specialising in evaluation and psychotherapeutic work with criminalised women. Anna works for Central and North-West London NHS Trust within HMP Bronzefield, providing specialist consultation, assessment and treatment for high-risk women within the EOS Service. She is a member of the advisory board for female offenders, under the Ministry of Justice and was the President of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy. She is a mentalization-based therapy supervisor. Anna has published widely and her latest book, A Love that Kills, was published by Orion in 2023. She contributed a paper on which this presentation is based to the latest edition of Couple and Family Psychoanalysis (Spring 2024), Turning a Blind Eye: Sexual Violence in Couple and Family Relationships.

Ariel Nathanson

Ariel Nathanson is a consultant child, adolescent and adult psychotherapist. He is the under 21s clinical lead at the Portman Clinic, where he has been working for many years, specialising in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and young adults who display sexually harmful, delinquent and violent behaviours. He has a private practice where he clinically works with adolescents and adults, supervises and teaches. He is also a consultant to care organisations focusing on the development of a therapeutic culture and identity. He is a co-editor of the book From Trauma to Harming Others: Therapeutic Work with Delinquent, Violent and Sexually Harmful Children and Young People (Routledge, 2021). He contributed a paper on which this presentation is based to the latest edition of Couple and Family Psychoanalysis (Spring 2024), Turning a Blind Eye: Sexual Violence in Couple and Family Relationships.

Wayne Bodkin

Wayne Bodkin trained with Tavistock Relationships and holds a doctorate in couple psychodynamic psychotherapy. He has lived and worked in the city of Monpellier in the south of France for the last 34 years. Since 2012 he has also worked as a consultant psychotherapist with a specialised forensic sexual abuse unit in the public hospital the CHU in Montpellier. He also has a private practice in the old part of the city where he sees clients in person and online. He writes extensively in French and English and an essay on sexual abuse in sport is due for publication in France this year. He is the co-editor of the Spring 2024 issue of Couple and Family Psychoanalysis, Turning a Blind Eye: Sexual Violence in Couple and Family Relationships, with Damian McCann.

Lorna Robinson

Lorna Robinson is a psychoanalytic couple psychotherapist and an individual psychodynamic psychotherapist trained at Tavistock Relationships, London. She was formerly a faculty member of Tavistock Relationships, where she now works as a supervisor, tutor and clinician. She maintains a private practice in London and online, and is an associate of Queen Anne Street Practice, London. She is one of the editors-in-chief of Couple and Family Psychoanalysis, where she is also the book reviews editor.

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