From a Gestalt therapy perspective, abuse cannot be looked at in isolation. Nor can the implications of the abuse be divided into physical, emotional, and social realms. The totality of the victim's existence is of primary concern. It recognizes the individual as a unique system (of thoughts, behaviors; beliefs; physical and psychological components) that accounts for the "internal" processes usually dealt with in therapy and stresses that the individual cannot be separated from the larger environmental systems. The goals of Gestalt therapy are acceptance of reality, increased awareness, integration of opposites, responsibility, maturity, self-regulation, and behavior change. It is suggested that males concurrently seek a similar form of individual therapy, and that as soon as it is logical and indicated, the couple begin conjoint sessions in which the specific interaction patterns that maintain the abuse can be addressed. 30 references