Four Traits of the Predatory Parent

There are moments in coercive control where nothing seems to make sense. If you have ever wondered why professionals sometimes get it wrong or why you may have doubted yourself along the way, I want to offer a framework that brings clarity. For more than forty years, across clinical practice, research, and my own lived …

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When You Don’t See the Abuse While You’re Living Inside It

Introduction There is a particular kind of heaviness that protective parents carry.A question that circles quietly in the back of the mind: “How did I not see it?” “How did this happen in my own home?” If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, I want you to know something before we go any further. You …

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A child caught in the middle of coercive control and parental conflict, illustrating the emotional impact of custody battles.

How Coercive Controllers Weaponize Children in Custody Battles

Your ex isn’t just being difficult… they are using your child to control you. This isn’t co-parenting.  This is abuse. While they play the calm, collected parent in court, you’re left fighting for your child’s well-being, painted as the unstable one. Sound familiar? Introduction Coercive control is the underpinning of all abuse.  It can be …

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