Co-Constructing Responsibility Approach (CCRA) (Takano, 2017, 2023) is a therapeutic approach to working with men who are violent and abusive by seeking intrapersonal, interpersonal, and social responsibility. This approach is based on qualitative research on the change process in men who are violent and abusive toward their partners and children (Takano, 2014, 2017), as well as feedback from frontline clinicians and clients’ experiences of effective intervention. Part of CCRA was applied and used in court-mandated groups and individual therapy programs in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
The main focus of CCRA in the first step is to facilitate taking responsibility in men within themselves. One of the critical components in this change process in CCRA is to help men face their shame and connect it with their yearning. Such authentic reflection can lead to purpose-oriented action which is to become an author of own lives to achieve fullness in their lives. A sense of shame has been understood as a multifaceted experience that includes feelings of anxiety, anger, disgust, and/or sadness, with a variety of negative cognitive appraisals of self, such as feelings of helplessness, resentment toward others, self-hatred, a sense of inferiority, and a sense of exposure. These feelings are related to unpleasant physiological arousal, which can in turn cause shamed individuals to hide and avoid others (Gilbert, Pehl, & Allan, 1994; Tracy, Robings, & Tangney, 2007). Shame has been identified as a source of aggression which is necessary for offenders of domestic violence to face in order to change violent and abusive behaivours (Hydén, Gadd, & Wade, 2016; Jenkins, 2009). The approach is to preserve dignity for those who offended, while working on to preserve dignity of partners and children who are harmed by them.
CCRA promotes three dimensions of responsibilities to rebuild healthy relationships with self and those affected by violence and abuse at home.
1). Intrapersonal responsibility:
CCRA promotes change in men themselves to help build a better relationship with themselves. We are the choice maker and we are responsible for our own lives, happiness, and mental health regardless of our life situations. If we are suffering from a sense of shame, guilt, and hurt, they can manifest as negative energies in our lives. They are best resolved and each one of us is responsible to resolve them. CCRA facilitates such resolutions and promotes the reclaiming of men’s lives.
2). Interpersonal responsibility:
Violence and abuse are social events. They affect not just partners and children, but all the people who are involved, including men themselves. If men hurt their partners and children through domestic violence, men are responsible for repairing the damage in a way that makes sense and is meaningful to their partners and children. This process involves authentic reflections of men’s accountabilities of their choices and behaviours as well as creating the goals in the relationship which is meaningful to themselves and their partners and children.
3). Community responsibility:
We are a part of the society, culture, and future of the next generations. When violence and abuse happen, people including children, friends, extended families, and pets, will be impacted by violence and abuse. The community responsibility pursues the personal, relational, and collective well-being of everyone (Riemer et. al., 2020).
CCRA is a clinical approach to help men and affected family members to regain violent-free lives.
If you are interested in receiving therapy or learning more about CCRA, please contact Dr. Yoshi Takano or call at 902-620-5266.