Intimate Partner Homicide and Recommendations for Counselors

Intimate partner homicide (IPH) is a global public health issue. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the highest risk factor and predictor of IPH. The emotional and psychological distress from IPV often leads clients to seek counseling services. As a result, counselors interact with individuals experiencing IPV who are at risk of IPH. The counseling literature is replete with IPV counseling interventions and discussion, but scant attention has been paid to IPH in counseling journals. Increasing discussion of IPH in the counseling literature helps counselors gain insight into preventative measures and interventions, such as assessing risk, expanding resource accessibility, and developing a safety plan to better ensure client safety. This article examines IPH literature, IPH vulnerabilities and risk factors, prevention efforts, and recommendations for counselors, such as assessing IPH risk, providing referrals to community resources, and developing safety plans.