TPC Journal V8, Issue 1 - FULL ISSUE

8 The Professional Counselor | Volume 8, Issue 1 Conclusion IPV is a prevalent public health issue that impacts the development of a wide range of mental and physical health diagnoses, in which PTSD and TBI are two pervasive complications that often affect survivors of IPV. Recent initiatives, such as the national briefing hosted by the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, are indicative of the work still needed to properly address this underrepresented national issue (Brain Injury Association of America, 2017). Counselors should understand the intersectionality of PTSD and TBI and how such experiences can complicate treatment. This article has provided several suggestions for counselors to improve their clinical practice to better accommodate survivors of IPV, including screening and assessment techniques, therapeutic approaches, and communication suggestions. Counselors should be aware of the need to adopt specific therapeutic approaches and strategies in counseling that compensate for cognitive impairments so as to avoid gaps in the delivery of services and adhere to best treatment practices. Counselors also are required to abide by ethical codes and guidelines and are urged to continually seek supervision and consultation when working with this population to ensure that the various aspects of this complicated category of violence are thoroughly considered. Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure The authors reported no conflict of interest or funding contributions for the development of this manuscript. References American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of ethics . Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/ resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. (2015). Intimate partner violence. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing , 44 , 405–408. doi:10.1111/1552-6909.12567 Black, M. C., Basile, K. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., . . . Stevens, M. R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Summary Report . Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf Block, C. K., & West, S. E. (2013). Psychotherapeutic treatment of survivors of traumatic brain injury: review of the literature and special considerations. Brain Injury , 27 , 775–788. doi:10.3109/02699052.2013.775487 Boals, A., & Banks, J. B. (2012). Effects of traumatic stress and perceived stress on everyday cognitive functioning. Cognition and Emotion , 26 , 1335–1343. doi:10.1080/02699931.2011.651100 Bourne, C., Mackay, C. E., & Holmes, E. A. (2013). The neural basis of flashback formation: The impact of viewing trauma. Psychological Medicine , 43 , 1521–1532. doi:10.1017/S0033291712002358 Brain Injury Association of America. (2015). About brain injury: Concussion/Mild TBI . Retrieved from http://www.biausa.org/mild-brain-injury.htm Brain Injury Association of America. (2017, October 17). Briefing: The silent epidemic in America – brain injury and domestic violence . Retrieved from https://www.biausa.org/public-affairs/public-awareness/news/ briefing-the-silent-epidemic-in-america-brain-injury-and-domestic-violence Brain Injury Association of Virginia. (2010). Working with individuals with brain injury: A professional’s guide . Richmond, VA: Author.