Date of Conferral

5-14-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Shelli Friess

Abstract

Traditional batterer intervention programs often prioritize male-perpetrator-female-victim models, thereby overlooking diverse relationship contexts and marginalized populations. Understanding participants’ experiences is essential for researchers, policymakers, counselor educators, and practitioners to develop alternatives to one-size-fits-all gender- specific strategies, which aligns with the call for more robust evidence-based practices. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study, guided by van Manen’s framework, was to explore the lived experiences of low-risk, low-need participants who completed a gender-neutral and inclusive domestic and intimate partner violence intervention program. The research answered what essential themes emerged from the participants’ lived experiences. Data were collected from (n=8) participants through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by employing thematic analysis and cross-case comparison, implementing the hermeneutic circle to iteratively explore the data and researcher reflexivity to mitigate bias and ensure interpretations remained grounded in participants’ lived experiences. Key findings revealed that participants’ experiences in the gender-neutral program highlighted the complexities of challenging traditional gender roles and power dynamics. Participants’ narratives illustrated both the potential and the difficulties of applying gender-neutral approaches to diverse relationships and mandated participation. The overarching themes of the transformational journey and the relational path to growth, along with experiences unpacking resistance and shaping understanding, suggest that the intervention offers opportunities to address assumptions, promote empathy and self-awareness, and encourage personal growth.

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