EP58: Intimate Partner Violence - Dr. Sam Gioia

Domestic Violence Intervention: Motivational Interviewing & Eye Movement Therapy explores how trauma-informed care and innovative therapeutic techniques transform lives. In this episode, I interview Dr. Sam Gioia, a respected educator, social worker, and Associate Professor of Social Work at Portland State University, who has decades of experience in batterer intervention, addiction treatment, and trauma recovery. Certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), he integrates motivational interviewing, client-centered approaches, and eye movement therapy to help clients move beyond patterns of control, aggression, and trauma responses. We discuss the psychological and neurological patterns common among perpetrators of intimate partner violence, including PTSD, acute stress, and substance use. You'll learn how fetal programming, attachment styles, and early trauma contribute to later challenges, and why motivational interviewing creates breakthroughs where traditional approaches fall short. We also explore why couples therapy is harmful when violence is present, what the Control Wheel reveals about abusive patterns, and how eye movement therapy rewires the brain and body for healing. This conversation blends research, practice, and lived wisdom to illuminate what true accountability and transformation look like. ✨ Subscribe for more content on trauma recovery, domestic violence, addiction, psychology, and personal growth. ___ Find out more about Andrea Love and her services here: andrea.love Find out more about The House of Healing & Love here: thehouseofhealing.love ___ All production by Cody Maxwell. sharkfyn.com Artwork by Heather Grace Gordy. Opening graphic assets by arakelov and Envato Elements.