Control doesn’t always come with raised voices or bruises. Dear Survivor, Coercive control is one of the most overlooked forms of abuse. It is a slow unraveling of your autonomy, your confidence, and your voice. It shows up as monitoring, isolation, subtle put-downs, or rules that shift without warning. The goal is not just power. […]
What Is Coercive Control? A Survivor’s Guide to Emotional Abuse Read More »
Understanding Control in Teen Relationships When parents sense that something is off in their teen’s relationship, it can be difficult to know what to do. Many parents describe feeling helpless or afraid of saying the wrong thing. You might notice your teen’s partner seems overly involved in their daily life, dictates who they spend time
How to Help When Your Teen’s Partner Is Controlling Read More »
Control doesn’t always come with bruises. Sometimes, it comes with silence, fear, and shrinking your truth to survive. Dear Survivor, You may not have called it control at the time. Maybe it looked like jealousy. Or concern. Or the kind of love that just wanted you “safe.” But if you ever felt like you had
How Narcissists Use Coercive Control in Relationships Read More »
Love doesn’t just disappear when someone causes harm, and that can be the hardest part. Dear Survivor, If you’ve ever found yourself missing someone who hurt you, or wondering why you still love your abusive ex, know this: you are not alone, and you are not broken. This is one of the most common and
Why Do I Still Love My Abusive Ex? Read More »
Many of us never expected that our deepest challenge would be emotional depletion. Dear Colleague, We entered this work to make a difference. And we are. But sometimes, making space for trauma day after day takes more from us than we realize. I’ve spoken with countless providers who describe feeling detached, irritable, or numb after
Compassion Fatigue and the Cost of Caring for Survivors Read More »
Some of the hardest chains to break are the ones we can’t see. Dear Survivor, Trauma bonds don’t feel like abuse at first. They feel like hope: a promise that the love will come back, that the bad days are just a phase, that things will get better if you just try harder. These bonds
Why Survivors Struggle to Leave: The Truth About Trauma Bonds Read More »
Understanding Teen Relationships Through a Healthy Lens When parents first suspect something might be wrong in their teen’s relationship, the focus often turns toward what is unhealthy. But understanding what healthy love looks and feels like can be just as important, both for recognizing red flags early and for helping teens form strong, safe relationships
What Healthy Teen Relationships Look Like (and How Parents Can Model Them) Read More »
Some trauma needs more space to breathe before it can fully heal. Dear Survivor, A survivor I once worked with, who we’ll call Maya, had done years of weekly therapy. She was insightful, committed, and brave, but there was still a heavy weight that clung to her spirit. She told me, “I understand my trauma.
Why I Recommend EMDR Therapy Intensives to Survivors Read More »
You don’t have to be sure of everything to take your next step. You just have to trust yourself enough to try. Dear Survivor, One of the most painful effects of narcissistic abuse is how it breaks your trust in your own perception. You begin to question your memory, your instincts, even your feelings. You’re
From Confusion to Clarity: Rebuilding Trust in Yourself After Narcissistic Abuse Read More »
When love starts to hurt more than it heals, it’s time to take a closer look. Dear Survivor, Emotional abuse can be difficult to recognize, especially when it’s wrapped in affection, apologies, or promises to change. Unlike physical violence, emotional abuse wears a disguise. It slowly chips away at your self-worth, your confidence, and your
What Are the Signs of Emotional Abuse? Read More »
