The task of this book is to fill the gap in the available literature on working with battered women and to help mental health professionals deal with the broad spectrum of needs that confront the battered woman and to prioritize those needs accordingly. The chapters devoted to assessment provide a conceptual model for understanding the battered woman's response to abuse and the resulting psychological effects; assess the violence and abuse experienced by the battered woman; consider the battered woman's strategies to escape, avoid, and protect herself and her children; discuss the psychological effects of abuse; and outline the various factors that mediate the battered woman's response to the psychological effects of violence. Several chapters examine various components of the intervention process: protection of the battered woman, decisionmaking and empowerment, and the healing of the psychological wounds. A final chapter focuses on self-care and other therapist issues. 1 figure, 3 tables, 221 references, and 5 appendixes