I asked a psychologist the other day if he knew about the Duluth Model. He said he'd never heard of it, affirmed most of the MRA talking points about DV, and said that he works with and does couple's counseling in a therapeutic setting with violent partners all the time. I talked with a psychiatrist and she told me the same thing.

Then it clicked with me as to why that is. I think it's because they're private therapists so they don't have to worry about losing VAWA funding if they don't use the Duluth Model. Another reason might be because it's an example of doctor-patient confidentiality and they want to encourage couples to come forward and seek help, but I'm not so sure about that one.

But I do know that if they don't use it, then there will be many others who don't use it either. My advice for any of you who are in an abusive relationship is to seek couple's counseling with a private psychologist or anyone else who works with couples (keyword: private). Find out what their privacy policy is, whether or not they use the Duluth Model, and anything else you may be concerned about before your first meeting. There's some hope out there in our current system. Stay strong, and hope for the best!