Coercive control is a form of violence that can cause profound psychological harm. This article explores coercive control trauma, explaining how repeated patterns of control erode autonomy, identity, and safety over time. Drawing on research, it examines why coercive control is often missed and how understanding its impact can support recovery.

Douglas Kelley’s psychiatric assessments at Nuremberg revealed a confronting truth: the men responsible for atrocity were psychologically ordinary. This article explores obedience, authority, and how harm emerges within systems—not madness.

This article explores why many survivors of abuse remain silent for years and how silence can function as a powerful survival strategy. Using Rachael Denhollander’s experience of speaking out against Larry Nassar, the piece highlights the role of fear, shame, disbelief, and the nervous system’s freeze response in keeping survivors quiet. It also examines betrayal trauma, where abuse is perpetrated by someone trusted or depended upon, making disclosure feel even more dangerous. The article emphasises the profound impact of being believed, the importance of creating safe spaces for disclosure, and how finding one’s voice—when the time is right—can be a meaningful step toward healing and reclaiming agency.

Coercion can appear in relationships, workplaces, churches, and faith communities through emotional pressure, manipulation, withholding, and spiritual abuse. This article explains the meaning of coercion, coercive control, and subtle threats, showing how they erode autonomy, trust, and wellbeing. Learn how coercion impacts intimacy, family, leadership, and religious settings, and discover strategies to recognise coercive behaviour, break unhealthy patterns, and seek safe, trauma-informed support

A exploration of family estrangement, faith, trauma, religious trauma and boundaries — examining when distance becomes necessary and how healing can occur with compassion and discernment.

Do you find it hard to trust people, or expect to be hurt or betrayed in relationships? The Mistrust/Abuse schema may be at the heart of it — discover where it comes from, how it shapes your life, and how schema therapy can help.

Why do some people use control in relationships? Research led by psychologist Kylie Walls (2024) links controlling behaviours to insecure attachment, emotion dysregulation, and shame. This article explores how anxious and avoidant attachment styles contribute to unhealthy dynamics and how therapies like EFT, DBT, and shame resilience work can foster emotional safety, healthier communication, and healing in couples. Includes Christian psychology support.

Netflix’s Adolescence offers a powerful lens on disrupted attachment, emotional dysregulation, and controlling behaviour in young people. Drawing on attachment theory and published research, this article explores how insecure and disorganised attachment, online environments, and unmet emotional needs can contribute to instability, aggression, and relational harm during adolescence.