The CARE Method: Based on the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model, a Domestic Violence Curriculum for Female Clients
by Nil Buckley

Note: When we became aware of the CARE Method by Nil Buckley, we were impressed by the approach to working with men and women with domestic violence behaviors. We decided to add them to our catalog. There are four books related to working with people who have domestic violence offenses:

• A workbook for men
• A manual for clinicians working with men
• A workbook for women
• A manual for clinicians working with women

Change is possible, even when the past feels heavy. Many women in domestic violence treatment have experienced trauma, struggled with difficult relationships, or found themselves reacting in ways they never expected. Some have been both hurt and have caused harm. Whatever your client’s story, this program is not about judgment—it’s about growth, healing, and the power to choose a new path forward.

The CARE Method for female clients is designed specifically for women in domestic violence treatment, offering a compassionate, structured, and empowering approach to understanding your past, accepting accountability, and building healthier relationships. Through this research-driven program, they will gain the tools to break free from harmful cycles, develop emotional awareness, and make choices that align with the person they want to become.

Clients will explore:

• Understanding their story: Learning how trauma, mental health, and past experiences shape behaviors and relationship patterns.
• Recognizing violence and being accountable: Exploring different types of violence including reactive aggression, self-defensive actions, and coercive control, to recognize and change unhealthy patterns.
• Healing from the inside out: Discovering practical exercises that help with emotional regulation, self-reflection, and setting healthy boundaries in their relationships.
• Breaking generational cycles: Understanding how family history, cultural expectations, and social pressures influence behavior—and how they can create a different future.
• Planning a new path forward: Developing a personal plan for growth, accountability, and healing, so they can move forward with strength, self-respect, and a renewed sense of purpose.

The message is that people are not defined by their past mistakes. They are defined by the choices they make today. The CARE Method will guide clients toward self-awareness, responsibility, and a healthier future—one step at a time.