A STRESS AND COPING APPROACH TO INTERVENTION WITH ABUSED WOMEN

Physical abuse, especially severe, chronic abuse, is a significant sou rce of stress for women who experience it. A combination of external a nd internal factors can inhibit women from ending abuse in an intimate relationship. Counseling can be useful in addressing internal barrier s. An ecological model of intervention is presented based on the Lazar us and Folkman (1984) conceptualization of stress and coping. The mode l also recognizes the stages abused women may experience in their appr aisal of the abuse experience. The proposed model includes attention t o an orientation to practice with this client group, engagement in tre atment assessment, intervention strategies, and evaluation of effectiv eness.