The Care Method: Based on the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model, a Manual for Counselors The Care Method: Based on the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model, a Manual for Counselors of 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

Women arrested for domestic violence often enter treatment carrying complex histories -- shaped by trauma, survival strategies, societal stigma, and the legal system’s gendered biases. Unlike traditional approaches designed primarily for male offenders, The CARE Method provides a specialized, evidence-based framework for counseling tailored to the unique pathways that lead women to use violence.

This research-driven manual acknowledges that female domestic violence offenders often:

• Struggle with trauma histories and attachment wounds – Many women arrested for domestic violence have experienced prior victimization.
• Face societal double standards – Women in the criminal justice system often navigate conflicting narratives, viewed simultaneously as victims and perpetrators.
• Exhibit different violence typologies – Unlike traditional battering models, many women engage in situational violence, reactive violence, or self-defensive aggression rather than coercive control.

Inside, counselors will find:

• A trauma-informed framework – Strategies for addressing the intersection of past victimization and present violence without excusing harmful behaviors.
• Client-centered counseling methods – A step-by-step guide for fostering engagement, reducing resistance, and supporting accountability through motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and structured intervention plans.
• Neuroscience and emotional regulation techniques – Tools to help clients manage stress, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation.

This expanded edition includes five prelude chapters that help bridge the gap between trauma awareness and behavioral change, ensuring that female clients feel seen, heard, and prepared to take meaningful steps toward transformation.

Whether you are a seasoned counselor or new to working with court-mandated female offenders, The CARE Method will equip you with the tools to navigate resistance, challenge harmful patterns, and guide women toward lasting behavioral change.