What is Response-Based Practice

People often ask me what Response-Based Practice (RBP) is. It’s a dignity-driven approach to therapy that pays close attention to the ways people respond to and resist experiences of violence, oppression, and adversity. Rather than viewing these responses as pathological “symptoms,” RBP recognizes them as deliberate acts — ways of creating safety and upholding dignity in situations that are often anything but safe.

A good example of this is working with someone who has experienced violence. Rather than asking why she didn’t call the police or scream for help, I would ask contextual questions — how has she been treated in the past by the systems that are supposed to keep her safe? What has been her experience with family and friends? When we ask these kinds of questions, we begin to uncover the often quiet but powerful forms of resistance and survival. The answer might be that she knew if she screamed, it would wake her children — and she didn’t want them to be in more danger. That is not passivity. That is protection.

RBP also pays close attention to language. Words matter. The approach prioritizes language that accurately describes who did what to whom, rather than language that obscures responsibility or implies mutual fault. “They fought” becomes “he hit her.” This shift is small but significant — it places accountability where it belongs.

If you’d like to learn more about Response-Based Practice, reach out to Northern Pines Counselling for individual counselling and training opportunities. For further reading, visit www.responsebasedpractice.com.

~ Kalie McIntosh