Professionals on the Front Line: A Mixed-methods Study of Perceived Needs, Challenges, and Emotional Well-being in Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Programs

Objective: Little is known about the professional profile, perceived needs, challenges, and emotional impact of practitioners’ work in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrator programs. Evidence on these aspects is needed to inform recruitment, training, supervision, and organizational support. This study examined (1) facilitators’ professional profile, (2) their perceived needs and challenges when working with IPV perpetrators, and (3) the emotional impact of this work on professionals’ well-being. Method: A mixed-methods design was used with 49 professionals delivering community-based IPV perpetrator interventions in Spain. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and qualitative data from focus groups were examined using thematic analysis. Results: Most facilitators were psychologists with substantial experience and responsibility for delivering several intervention groups per year, while only a small minority received regular supervision. The main perceived training needs concerned managing perpetrators’ resistance and increasing their motivation to change. The greatest facilitation difficulties involved securing active contribution and constructive interaction among group members. The most frequent co-facilitation challenge was the appearance of different perspectives among professionals during group sessions. Although participants reported moderately high job satisfaction and generally low global burnout, qualitative findings revealed substantial emotional strain, including frustration, overload, and safety concerns in a context of program-related and institutional barriers, underscoring the central role of personal, group-management, and technical competencies for sustaining this work. Conclusions: Working with IPV perpetrators is complex and emotionally demanding. Strengthening ongoing training, supervision, and multi-agency coordination appears essential to protect facilitators’ well-being and to promote effective IPV perpetrator programs.