Wife Beater Shirt Optional: There Is No Dress Code for Domestic Violence

Wife Beater" shirts are a stereotype not a style. Not all perpetrators of domestic violence wear "Wife Beater" shirts and not all victims are weak, helpless or female...men can be victims too. Domestic abuse is not a problem confined to any specific socio-economic group, race, or to heterosexual relationships. It's also important to understand that physical violence is not the only type of domestic abuse. Mental, emotional and psychological abuse are also a form of domestic violence.

Wife Beater Shirt Optional helps to dispel the many stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding domestic violence and the resulting trauma. This book is a no nonsense discussion about the types of abuse, the cycle of violence, the issue of power and control, the types of trauma and the symptoms of trauma.

Unlike a standard textbook approach to presenting the information, Dr. Laura Streyffeler provides a casual, direct, therapy-styled perspective. Each topic contains realistic but fictional examples which are then followed by a practical and often frank discussion based on real life counseling experiences.

After unraveling the myths surrounding domestic violence, trauma and the reasons victims stay in abusive relationships, tools for assessing the types and extent of the abuse and practical safety planning for leaving an abusive relationship are provided. If you or a loved one question whether you are in, or suspect that you are in, an abusive relationship this book is written specifically for you.