ABOUT US

Specialist Domestic & Family Violence Risk Assessment and Treatment Services

At Magnolia House Psychology, we offer specialist services designed for cases involving domestic and family violence (DFV). Our experienced clinicians deliver comprehensive risk assessments and tailored therapeutic interventions to support safety, accountability and healing across family law, child protection and contact contexts.


Purpose & Context

Domestic and family violence is not limited to isolated incidents of physical harm — it often involves coercive control, emotional/psychological abuse, economic abuse, technology-facilitated abuse and ongoing power imbalances. Children’s exposure to DFV can have adverse developmental, emotional and relational impacts even if they are not the direct target of violence.

Risk assessment and treatment services in this domain aim to:

  • Identify the presence, pattern, severity and escalation potential of DFV in caregiving and relational contexts;
  • Map how violence or control influences parenting capacity, contact safety and children’s wellbeing;
  • Inform decisions about safe care arrangements, contact services, therapeutic pathways, and accountability for persons using violence;
  • Support intervention planning (for persons using violence) and safety/support planning (for victim-survivors and children).


What We Offer

Risk Assessment Services
Our team undertakes structured and specialist risk assessments in cases involving DFV, including:

  • Screening and identification of DV/DFV indicators; using validated tools and frameworks aligned with the national and state-based risk assessment principles.
  • Comprehensive review of history (incident reports, interventions, protection orders, perpetrator/ victim dynamics), collateral sources, interviews and observations;
  • Focused assessment of risk to children and adults, including escalation indicators (weapons, strangulation/choking, stalking, threats, separation) and the broader context (mental health, substance use, housing instability)
  • Combined assessment of parenting/caregiving ability where DFV is a factor: how violence or coercive control impacts capacity to provide safe, consistent, developmentally-appropriate care.
  • Clear formulation of risk level, protective factors, change potential (for the person using violence), and recommendations for risk management (e.g., supervised contact, behaviour change programmes, safety planning).


Treatment & Therapeutic Support Services
In conjunction with assessments, Magnolia House Psychology provides therapeutic services customised to DFV-affected families, including:

  • Intervention for persons using violence: behaviour change programmes, individual counselling focused on accountability, relational capacities, attachment repair and parenting in the context of past violence;
  • Support for victim-survivors: trauma-informed therapy, parenting support where children are involved, contact and changeover support to maximise safety and minimise retraumatisation;
  • Supervised or supported parent-child contact services where DFV is present: structured contact planning, safe changeover protocols, monitoring and evaluation;
  • Family therapy and reunification support when appropriate: restoring relational capacities in a safe, staged manner, taking into account the history of violence and current risks;
  • Integrated safety planning for children and adults: multi-factor approach including environment, routines, triggers, support network, relational dynamics and legal/court interfaces.


Process & Time-Frame

  1. Referral & Briefing
  2. Clear referral brief or terms of engagement outlining the assessment questions, scope (risk assessment, therapeutic intervention, contact supervision), parties involved, documents to review, deadlines.
  3. Data Collection
  4. Interviews with adult(s), children (age/maturity appropriate), collateral persons; review of incident records, protection orders, past assessments; observations of family interaction or contact arrangements as needed.
  5. Analysis & Formulation
  6. Use evidence-informed frameworks (e.g., the National Risk Assessment Principles for domestic and family violence) to integrate findings, identify patterns of violence, assess risk escalation, evaluate caregiving in the context of DFV, and consider change potential and protective/supportive factors.
  7. Recommendations & Reporting
  8. Deliver a structured, clear report with: risk level, protective/probative factors, specific recommendations (e.g., supervised contact, behaviour change treatment, ongoing monitoring, safety planning) and therapeutic pathways.
  9. Where required for court or tribunal settings, report can include expert witness elements (methodology, limitations, clinical reasoning) suitable for tendering in proceedings.
  10. Therapeutic Implementation & Monitoring
  • Where intervention is required, therapy or programme commences; risk management and contact arrangements are monitored over time, with review of progress and adaptation of safety/relational plans as needed.


Why Choose Magnolia House Psychology

  • Our clinicians bring specialist expertise in DFV-informed assessment and therapy, with experience across family law, child protection, reunification and contact contexts.
  • We adopt trauma-informed, culturally responsive approaches: recognising the diverse ways DFV manifests, the significance of cultural/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts, and the intersection of violence with social disadvantage.
  • Our services are evidence-based and tailored: assessments aligned with national/state best practice, therapeutic work informed by current research, and strong professional judgment in high-risk and complex cases.
  • Our reporting is designed for use by courts, agencies and parties: clear structure, transparency of method, integrative reasoning and defensible recommendations.


Fees & Considerations

Risk assessment and treatment services for DFV cases vary significantly in complexity. At Magnolia House Psychology, our starting fee for a dedicated specialist DFV risk assessment or combined assessment/therapeutic package is $3,000 + GST (note: you can edit this figure if your starting rate differs) and may increase depending on factors such as number of parties, children involved, scope of contact supervision, need for extended observations or specialist testing.


Please contact us for a tailored quote once the scope and brief are confirmed.


What This Service Is Not

  • A guarantee of a particular outcome (e.g., supervised contact will always be authorised) — rather, an expert assessment and therapeutic service that assists decision-makers and families in navigating risk and change.
  • A stand-alone intervention ignoring the broader system — risk assessment and treatment work must be integrated with legal, child protection, contact and therapeutic systems.
  • A simplistic tick-box exercise — DFV risk assessment and treatment involve dynamic, ongoing processes of monitoring, review and adaptation.


Learn more