Writing is a way to know ourselves. It eases us through unsettling times. A bonus: robust self-awareness provides guardrails against accepting coercive control.

There is a simple tool that helps many trauma survivors; simple but not always easy. So, ahead of time, give yourself wells of permission and patience.

Grief is always a normal and important part of healing for intimate partner abuse survivors.

Relationships without trust are like trying to drive a car without wheels. It won’t take you to where you want to go.

None of us escape from the language of patriarchy. Increasing our awareness of sexist language releases us from unjust outlooks on men and women.

As we begin a new year, it's important to recognize that new beginnings include telling your own story.

Here are some questions whose answers offer clues about whether you are dealing with someone who is emotionally abusive. Proceed with caution and talk about it if you don’t like what you see.

After survivors learn the tactics of coercion and attend to their injuries, they can focus on how to respond in ways that empower them and disempower the controller. They do this by learning how to keep abusers’ blame, negation, and gaslighting from having power over them.

Divorce is never easy, and that is especially true for intimate partner abuse survivors. My last blog, Considering Divorce, was a walk-through of the process. During my interview with Holly Slota, attorney at Pines Bach LLP in Madison WI, I asked what issues make it more difficult for survivors. This blog combines her responses with guidance on how to handle each issue.

Survivors, as well as those who work with them, will find my interview with Attorney Holly Slota from Pines Bach LLP in Madison, Wisconsin, informative. Those who contemplate leaving often feel fear about the unknown legal system, making an already complicated decision more difficult. Abusers often tell their partners information that is inaccurate because they want to manipulate or frighten them.