Healing after abuse happens in micro-moves. These small shifts deserve to be seen and supported.
Dear Colleague,
In trauma therapy, it’s common to witness a client return to the same relationship, cancel sessions, or describe ongoing patterns that seem unchanged. It can feel discouraging, even like progress isn’t happening. But healing after abuse doesn’t always look linear or dramatic.
These moments are not signs of failure. They are signs of survival.
Survivors of abusive relationships often make subtle yet powerful internal shifts that aren’t immediately visible. They may still be living with or in contact with a harmful partner, but inside, transformation is happening. Maybe they’re beginning to notice red flags. Maybe they’re questioning gaslighting instead of accepting it as truth. Maybe they’re speaking to a friend about what they’re experiencing for the first time in years.
These micro-moves matter.
In trauma-informed care, we recognize that ambivalence is not resistance. It’s a protective adaptation. Clients navigating trauma bonds and emotional abuse are often managing fear, confusion, and grief. Even small steps, like reclaiming a boundary, questioning a toxic narrative, or considering their own needs, represent profound acts of courage.
As providers, we are uniquely positioned to notice and affirm these shifts. When we validate the unseen labor of healing, we create space for survivors to reconnect with autonomy, identity, and self-worth. This kind of support lays the groundwork for long-term change, even if that change is not immediate or externally visible.
If you’re wondering how to provide ethical, attuned care in these situations, we invite you to go deeper.
Join our $5 CE Training: “Ethics and DV Survivors”
📅 Available now
🔗 Register Here
Every choice counts. And every provider who shows up with compassion, patience, and trauma-informed care makes a difference.
With appreciation for all you do,
Catrina LPCS
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