This project is a national, empirically supported effort to significantly and dramatically reduce intimate partner violence and sexual misconduct. We are disseminating and evaluating an effective intervention for reducing domestic violence for men court-mandated to treatment. We adapted the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) model to target intimate partner violence (IPV), resulting in a 24-week group intervention called ACTV.
Meet Our Team
Lab Members
- Erika Lawrence, PhD
- Kate Collison, PhD
- Hayley Fivecoat, PhD
- Zoe Goldstein, PsyD
- Chika Ofodu, PhD
- Amanda Reed, MS
- Tess Hasan, MPH
- Liam Gelling
- Denali Keefe
- Rosy Kim
- Winnie Wang
- Xiaozhou (Zoe) Huang
- Ziyan (Jane) Yin
Lab Affiliates and Collaborators
- Jennie Duchschere, PhD
- Kanai Gandhi, MFT
- Dana Reese
- Ariel Horvitz, PsyD
- Deric Jackson, MSW
- Karey O’Hara, PhD
- Sam Reznik, PhD
- Caroline Shanholtz, PhD
- Andy Winkelmann
Current Research Projects
In collaboration we adapted Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in a group format to successfully treat domestic violence. Effectiveness studies have shown that ACTV reduces recidivism by 1/3 to1/2 compared to the “gold standard” IPV interventions offered in corrections. We are currently completing the 4th comparative effectiveness trial with ACTV. We have implemented it in multiple states, maintaining its effectiveness at reducing IPV when working with a variety of agencies and communities.
Representative Publications
- O’Hara, K.L., Duchschere, J.E., Shanholtz, C.E., Reznik, S.J., Beck, C.J., & Lawrence, E. (2019). Multidisciplinary Partnership: Targeting aggression and mental health problems of adolescents in detention. American Psychologist, 74, 329-342. doi:10.1037/amp0000439
- Lawrence, E., Mazurek, C., & Reardon, K. (2021). Comparing recidivism rates among domestically violent men enrolled in ACTV versus Duluth/CBT. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 89(5), 469-475. doi:10.1037/ccp0000649
- Duchschere, J.E., O’Hara, K.L., Reznik, S.J., Shanholtz, C.E., Gerson, N., Beck, C.J., & Lawrence, E. (2022). Addressing a mental health intervention gap in juvenile detention: A pilot study. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 8(2), 236-251. doi:10.1080/23794925.2022.2042873
Other Notable Information
Represented Project Funding
DOJ OVW SF -4254, Testing the effectiveness of a domestic violence intervention at reducing recidivism (Lawrence, PI), 11/1/2025-10/30-2025
NUCATS Translational Science Pilot Award (Lawrence and Collison, co-PIs), Evaluating the Implementation and Sustainability of a Group-based Intimate Partner Violence Intervention in Corrections and Community Agencies (08/01/2023 – 06/30/2024)
Student Opportunities
We will be accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students to join the lab in October, 2025.