Healing from abuse by a partner involves ending the silence about it by taking back or owning your story—unhampered by an abusive partner’s control and beliefs. In short, this means you stop believing what your partner’s behavior convinced you to believe. Owning your story is a process of: Distinguishing abusive behavior patterns and releasing responsibility for how you were treated Recognizing other forms of abuse of power you may have experienced Learning about emotions an

Trauma healing is a vital component of therapy for intimate partner abuse survivors. Trauma symptoms interfere with partner abuse survivors’ healing. During my therapy practice, I developed Journey to Healing interventions for survivors fostered by my social work training and numerous trauma workshops. When I discovered Bruce Perry’s 3Rs of Trauma Therapy: Regulate, Relate, and Reason, I found my interventions fit within these concepts. Perry originally wrote about the 3Rs to

When you "find your voice" means you develop the confidence and ability to express your unique perspective, opinions, and ideas. I adopted that as my new website brand because abuse silences the voices of survivors. Reclaiming strength: Find your voice after an abusive relationship. When you recognize your partner is abusive, this requires a huge "find your voice transition." Your awareness changes, and you experience emotional upheaval. You're faced with adjusting how you se

Often there is a gap between recognizing abusive behavior and both knowing what you want and taking steps toward it. This blog identifies four common obstacles to taking one step in the direction of healing. One step will lead to another. Fear Taking one step in the direction of healing confronts you with fear. It is reasonable to fear what your partner will do if you challenge their behavior or leave. Besides physical harm, emotional abuse, financial instability, stalking