PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ABUSE
(LIVE ONLINE) 60 CPD POINTS

Format: Live-online Lecturer Led Classes (Virtual-Classroom) via Zoom

Duration: 1 Evening Every Week 6pm to 9pm

Online Live Attendance: 30 Hours

Self-Directed Learning: 30 Hours

Total CPD Credits: 60 Credits

Assessment: Written Assignment +/- Viva Voca Assessment

Award: Accredited Professional Diploma

Course Accreditation:

• Professional Development Consortium

• Provider of Excellence

• CPD Standards Office

• Irish Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (ICPA)

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Course Description

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The Professional Diploma in Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse at ICPS College (Institute for Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies) is a comprehensive, trauma-informed training designed for practitioners seeking to develop specialist clinical skills in working with survivors of abuse. This programme integrates theory, practice, and reflective learning to support safe, ethical, and effective therapeutic engagement.

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Participants will explore the complex dynamics of domestic violence and sexual abuse, gaining the knowledge required to recognise signs, respond to disclosures, and establish strong therapeutic foundations. The course places a strong emphasis on trauma-informed care, including understanding nervous system responses, stabilisation techniques, and the importance of pacing in therapeutic work.

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Through a structured, module-based approach, students will develop advanced assessment and formulation skills, enabling them to work confidently with risk, complexity, and client vulnerability. The programme also addresses key areas such as dissociation, attachment patterns, trauma bonding, and somatic responses, ensuring a holistic understanding of the survivor experience.

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Practical application is central to this diploma. Each module incorporates case studies, real-world scenarios, and hands-on techniques that can be immediately integrated into clinical practice. Students will learn how to support clients currently in abusive situations, manage emotional overwhelm, and work effectively with shame, guilt, and relational trauma.

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The course also prioritises therapist wellbeing, equipping practitioners with tools to manage vicarious trauma, maintain professional boundaries, and sustain long-term resilience in practice. By the end of the programme, participants will be equipped with the confidence, competence, and clinical insight required to deliver trauma-informed counselling and psychotherapy in this sensitive and complex field. A strong element is based on Freudian & Lacanian Psychoanalytic Theory

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Course Highlights

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• Comprehensive training in domestic violence and sexual abuse Counselling, Psychotherapy, Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Social Work

• Strong focus on trauma-informed practice and nervous system regulation

• Practical grounding, stabilisation, and somatic techniques

• Real-world case studies and applied clinical skills

• Guidance on managing disclosure, risk, and client safety

• In-depth exploration of dissociation, attachment, and trauma bonds

• Tools for working with shame, guilt, and complex trauma

• Emphasis on ethical practice and therapist boundaries

• Integration of body-based and talk therapy approaches

• Focus on therapist resilience and managing vicarious trauma

• Freudian & Lacanian Psychoanalytic Theory

• Theory, Skills & Integration

• Interactive Group Work

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Learning Outcomes

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On completion of this course, participants will be able to:

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• Demonstrate a clear understanding of domestic violence and sexual abuse dynamics

• Recognise clinical signs and presentations of trauma in clients

• Apply trauma-informed assessment and case formulation skills

• Safely manage client disclosure and therapeutic boundaries

• Use grounding, stabilisation, and nervous system regulation techniques

• Work effectively with dissociation and complex trauma presentations

• Support clients experiencing trauma bonds and attachment difficulties

• Integrate somatic awareness into therapeutic practice

• Respond appropriately to risk while avoiding re-traumatisation

• Maintain professional resilience and manage the impact of trauma work

• Understand Freudian & Lacanian Psychoanalytic Theory

• Build Skills for real world application

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Course Outline

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Module 1: Clinical Foundations of Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse
Content:

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• Understanding abuse dynamics in the therapy room

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  Recognising signs and indicators in clients

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  Clinical presentation of survivors

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  Establishing therapeutic safety and boundaries

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  Managing disclosure in early sessions

• Therapist positioning and role clarity

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Module 2: Trauma Responses & Nervous System Regulation
Content:

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• Identifying trauma responses in-session

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  Working with fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses

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  Window of tolerance in clinical practice

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  Grounding and stabilisation techniques (practical exercises)

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  Regulation skills for dysregulated clients

• Tracking somatic responses in therapy

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Module 3: Assessment & Formulation Skills
Content:

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• Conducting sensitive client assessments

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  Building trauma-informed case formulations

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  Identifying risk without re-traumatisation

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  Pacing and timing of clinical questioning

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  Developing therapeutic hypotheses

• Documentation from a clinical perspective

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Module 4: Core Therapeutic Skills for Trauma Work
Content:

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• Building safety, trust, and therapeutic alliance

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  Active listening and attunement skills

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  Working with silence, resistance, and avoidance

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  Managing emotional overwhelm in-session

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  Containment and stabilisation techniques

• Session structuring for trauma clients

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Module 5: Working with Domestic Violence in Therapy
Content:

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• Supporting clients currently in abusive relationships

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  Safety-focused therapeutic conversations

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  Managing dependency and ambivalence

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  Strengthening client autonomy and agency

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  Working with fear, attachment, and trauma bonds

• Clinical boundaries and ethical considerations

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Module 6: Working with Sexual Trauma in Therapy
Content:

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• Responding to disclosure of sexual abuse

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  Language and communication in sensitive work

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  Working with shame, guilt, and self-blame

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  Body-based responses and somatic awareness

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  Rebuilding boundaries and consent internally

• Supporting stabilisation before deeper processing

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Module 7: Working with Complex Trauma & Dissociation
Content:

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• Recognising dissociation in-session

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  Grounding techniques for dissociative clients

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  Parts work and ego state approaches

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  Maintaining client presence and engagement

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  Avoiding overwhelm and fragmentation

• Stabilisation before trauma processing

Module 8: Attachment, Relationships & Trauma Bonds
Content:

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• Understanding trauma bonding in abusive relationships

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  Attachment patterns in survivors

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  Working with dependency and relational confusion

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  Repairing internal working models

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  Supporting healthy relational boundaries

• Relational dynamics within the therapeutic relationship

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Module 9: Working with the Body in Trauma Therapy
Content:

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• Introduction to somatic awareness in psychotherapy

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  Tracking physical sensations in-session

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  Body-based stabilisation techniques

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  Breathwork and grounding practices

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  Integrating body and talk therapy approaches

• Supporting reconnection with the body safely

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Module 10: Integration, Clinical Practice & Therapist Resilience
Content:

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• Integrating skills into clinical practice

• Managing complex cases and clinical challenges

• Therapist self-regulation and awareness

• Recognising and managing vicarious trauma

• Clinical reflection and supervision focus

• Endings, review, and consolidation of learning

• ** Mandatory Skills Assessment (Fishbowl)**

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Each session will be backed by a combination of theory, case studies, and practical advice, allowing students to understand the real-world application of the knowledge and skills they are developing throughout the course