Program for Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress for Intimate Partner Violence - Randomized Control Trial

NCT07747766 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: CHA-IRB-24-25-422
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 48
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This research study investigates the feasibility of a randomized control trial of a group-based treatment program for reducing stress, trauma, substance use, and use of violence among individuals who were court-mandated to attend a program after committing an act(s) of domestic violence. The study is in a 2-arm design with an intervention group and a control group.

Conditions

Individuals Who Use Violence; Interpersonal Violence

Keywords

Interpersonal Violence; Domestic Violence; Internal Family Systems (IFS); Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress (PARTS)

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• H1.1 - Intervention Feasibility

  70% of participants attend 67% of group sessions Study feasibility: 70% of participants complete of post study assessments For study-protocol feasibility we do not expect differences in the arms but expect each arm to obtain overall 67% or more of participants completing week-20 study assessments (H1.1)

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 20 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• H2.1. - Acceptability

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 20 weeks

• H2.2 -- Satisfaction

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 20 weeks

• H2.3 -- Conflict Tactics

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 20 weeks

• H2.4 -- Aggression Experience

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 20 weeks

Other Outcomes (1)

• Exploratory Aim - mechanisms of emotion regulation, decentering, self-critical rumination, and self-compassion

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 20 weeks

Study Arms (2)

PARTS-NB Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants (N=24 anticipated) randomly allocated to this arm with undergo an IFS-based intervention called PARTS-NB, which curriculum is adapted from the original PARTS program and encompasses a mix of weekly group sessions (120 minutes each) for 20 weeks and individual IFS therapy sessions (minimum 6, and up to 9).

Behavioral: Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors

DVIT-TAU Arm

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The control group (N=24 anticipated) will follow Treatment As Usual (TAU) for people who use violence in interpersonal and domestic relationships. Currently in WA state, these treatments are a mix of elements from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Duluth Model, and/or Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT). Participants in this group will not be exposed to IFS during TAU to preserve the integrity of the study design. The number of individual counseling sessions during TAU will be tracked, but it can vary based on need in the treatment as usual modalities.

Behavioral: DVIT Treatment As Usual (TAU)

Interventions

Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress through New Behaviors BEHAVIORAL

The experiential protocol includes 15 minutes of themed curriculum and 45 minutes of experiential exercises, e.g., going inside meditation, centering practice, witnessing their own parts, psychodrama, speaking for parts exercises, finding parts in the body, etc. In addition, participants will have 30 minutes to speak in the group about their experience and review the manual focused on new coping strategies and behaviors. We will ask participants to keep a journal to write down observations and parts they notice during the week and ask them to bring the journal and manual we send to them to the group so they can record information they remember after exercises. All participants also will be scheduled to have approximately six to nine standard clinical one-hour sessions with an individual IFS trained counselor (at least Level 1 IFS trained) during their time in the program, with an average of one-two sessions per month (6-9 total individual sessions).

Also known as: Program For Alleviating Relationship Trauma and Stress - InterPersonal Violence

PARTS-NB Arm

DVIT Treatment As Usual (TAU) BEHAVIORAL

Treatment As Usual (TAU) for people who use violence in interpersonal and domestic relationships. In WA state currently, these treatments are usually a mix of elements from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Duluth Model, and/or Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT). Participants in this group will not be exposed to IFS during TAU, to preserve the integrity of the study design. The number of individual counseling sessions during TAU will be tracked, but it can vary based on need in the treatment as usual modalities.

DVIT-TAU Arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Must be male-identifying or prefer to be in a male-identifying group;
• Must be a resident of Washington state;
• Must be court-referred to a treatment program for using violence with an intimate partner;
• Have sufficient English fluency and literacy skills to understand the consent process, procedures and questionnaires and have the ability to provide written informed consent;
• Have access to the internet and an electronic device with adequate data capacity; to complete questionnaires online and attend online video conference groups;
• Must be available and willing to attend at least 17 out of 20 scheduled online group sessions; and
• Must be available and willing to complete the online computerized assessments, and phone interviews.

You may not qualify if:

• Insufficiently stable housing or internet connection to be able to join at least 17 group sessions;
• Current participation in another experimental research study;
• Expected medical hospitalization in the next six months from study enrollment period;
• Current or expected physical incarceration (excluding house arrest or other forms of electronic monitoring) in the next six months from study enrollment period;
• Inpatient hospitalization for mental health, substance use, suicide attempt or self-harm within past three months;
• Inability to participate safely in the study intervention and without disrupting the group (in the opinion of principal investigator OR meeting any of the following criteria)
• Past year history of a psychotic disorder or clinician confirmed active psychosis assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5);
• Bipolar I disorder history or current severe level of mania assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5);
• Acute suicidality with intent will be excluded from the study (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 \[SCID-5\]);
• High levels of Psychopathy as defined by self-report psychopathy checklist (SRP-4);
• Self-injurious behavior in past three months will require clinical assessment prior to participation in the program;
• Acute homicidality with plan and/or intent;
• Inability to join a group without intoxication.
• Prior experience or exposure with Internal Family Systems (e.g. IFS therapy, IFS groups or retreats, current IFS practice, etc.)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cambridge Health Alliance: lead
• Waterland Counseling Services: collaborator
• Washington State Department of Commerce Office of Crime Victims Advocacy: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Cambridge Health Alliance Center for Mindfulness and Compassion

Malden, Massachusetts, 02148, United States

Location

Waterland Counseling

Tumwater, Washington, 98512, United States

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Tobiasz Veltz, L. (2025). Efficacy of an Online, Group-Based Internal Family Systems (IFS) Intervention on PTSD Symptom Clusters. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.

  BACKGROUND

• Ally D, Tobiasz-Veltz L, Tu K, Comeau A, Bumpus C, Blot T, Rice FK, Orr B, Soumerai Rea H, Sweezy M, Schuman-Olivier Z. A pilot study of an online group-based Internal Family Systems intervention for comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use. Front Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 27;16:1544435. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1544435. eCollection 2025.

  PMID: 40212833 BACKGROUND

• Comeau A, Smith LJ, Smith L, Soumerai Rea H, Ward MC, Creedon TB, Sweezy M, Rosenberg LG, Schuman-Olivier Z. Online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and acceptability of the program for alleviating and resolving trauma and stress. Psychol Trauma. 2024 Dec;16(Suppl 3):S636-S640. doi: 10.1037/tra0001688. Epub 2024 Jun 27.

  PMID: 38934934 BACKGROUND

• Taft CT, Franz MR, Cole HE, D'Avanzato C, Rothman EF. Examining strength at home for preventing intimate partner violence in civilians. J Fam Psychol. 2021 Sep;35(6):857-862. doi: 10.1037/fam0000732. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

  PMID: 33734765 BACKGROUND

• Joss D, Comeau A, Chevannes R, Parry G, Rea HS, Barria J, Bumpus C, Rector A, Rajan A, Rosansky J, Rice FK, Ward MC, Tobiasz Veltz L, Ally D, Rosenberg LG, Sweezy M, Lovas D, Schuman-Olivier Z. A randomized controlled trial of an online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: The Program for Alleviating and Resolving Trauma and Stress (PARTS) study. Psychol Trauma. 2026 Jan 29. doi: 10.1037/tra0002089. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 41609644 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD

  Center for Mindfulness & Compassion - Cambridge Health Alliance

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Laure Tobiasz Veltz, ALM, MBA, MS

CONTACT

617-806-8735; ltobiaszveltz@challiance.org

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Director of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion

Model Details: This study is a Stage 1 behavioral therapy trial (different than a NIH Phase trial for FDA approval), a randomized clinical trial investigating the "real-world" feasibility and acceptability of the PARTS IPV program group intervention vs. the DVIT-TAU control intervention on those mandated for treatment of use of violence in intimate partnerships.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 31, 2026
• First Posted: August 5, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2027
• Last Updated: August 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)