Overview

The Domestic and Family Violence & Psychology Interest Group and the Women & Psychology Interest Group are pleased to present a collaborative professional development event examining early warning signs of intimate partner violence in relationships.

This evidence-based and trauma-focused event brings together two highly experienced practitioners and researchers working at the intersection of psychology, coercive control, gender-based violence, trauma-informed practice, and intervention.

Together, the speakers will explore the implications of understanding early warning signs of abuse from two interconnected lenses: the lived and embodied experiences of victim-survivors, and the internal physiological and psychological processes that may accompany the use of violence and coercive control. The discussion will consider how these perspectives can inform prevention, therapeutic intervention, accountability, and broader systemic understandings of domestic and family violence.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Improve their understanding of the earliest warning signs of intimate partner abuse and why their recognition is challenging
• Identify the intersecting layers of physiological programming, psychological grooming, and gender socialisation that can disguise coercive control and abusive behaviours
• Increase their capacity to recognise subtle abusive behaviours and patterns associated with intimate partner abuse in clinical and community settings
• Explore the physiological, emotional, and relational processes that are experienced by people using violence within intimate relationships
• Develop greater understanding of trauma-responsive and evidence-based interventions for victim-survivors and for people who use abuse/violence in intimate relationships
• Reflect on the implications for psychological practice, prevention, accountability, and broader gendered and systemic responses to domestic and family violence

Presenter(s)

About the presenter(s)

Dr. Lea Nunn
Dr. Lea Nunn has over twenty-five years of experience as a psychologist in the clinical, management, and training sectors and has her own lived experience of intimate partner abuse (IPA). She completed her PhD in sociology at the University of Tasmania in 2024 with an overall focus on preventing intimate partner abuse. She has worked extensively with women who have experienced IPA or sexual abuse, both individually and in groups, across private practice, hospital, and community settings. Her work integrates sociological, psychological, and physiological understandings of abuse, coercive control, and trauma recovery.

Rodney Vlais
Rodney Vlais is a psychologist with 25 years’ experience in providing training, supervision, writing, research, and direct practice in engaging men who use domestic, family, and sexual violence. Their work is influenced by intersectional feminist, narrative, psychodynamic, and internal family systems approaches, and they are passionate about contributing to non-hierarchical forms of community accountability and transformative justice.

Notes

Target Audience

This event will be of interest to psychologists, mental health practitioners, researchers, students, and professionals working across domestic and family violence, trauma, women’s health, counselling, community services, and related sectors.

Please note:

• This is a Member Groups event. All communication will be sent to the registrants’ registered email address. This includes event reminders with details (such as the Zoom link) and any pre-event or post-event resources, if provided by the facilitators.
• A post-event email will be sent within two weeks of the event’s completion to each registrant’s registered email address. This email will include the CPD certificate, event-recording, and any additional resources shared during the session.

Duration of Access

This event will be recorded. The recording will be emailed to all registered within 2 weeks post event and available for viewing up to 90 days.

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.