First-year counselors who work with male domestic violence offenders

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experience of first-year counselors who work with male domestic violence offenders, including how they perceived their role in this process, how they perceived their clients, how they carried out their responsibilities, and how they viewed this work experience impacting their own lives. The goal of this phenomenological study was to understand the meaning of the first-year counselors' experiences through their language.

A total of nine participants were recruited in this study. All participants were under supervision for the master level internship or licensed internship. All participants had no more than one year of experience working with male domestic violence. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with each participant. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for analysis. Five themes emerged from the interviews: (a) Working with male offenders was not the participants' original plan, (b) Limited academic preparation on domestic violence, (c) Professional development of working with male offenders, (d) Most male offenders are humans who made poor choices, and (e) Mutual influence between personal experience and professional practice. The results of this study were compared with a review of the literature in the discussion of findings. Limitations of this study were addressed. Implications and suggestions for academic preparation and clinical supervision for new counselors were provided.