My latest blog is up here: https://www.thegrouphug.com/2020/10/29/controlling/ Going to court with a controlling ex is never easy and sometimes you can feel as though you are being rail-roaded into it. It can cost you a fortune (money that ideally could be spent on creating a happier future for you and Read more
Caz came to see me after struggling to maintain boundaries with her husband who she had separated from a few months earlier. They saw each other regularly when he came to see the children and he had moved on to another relationship, but for Caz it was almost as if Read more
Gaslighting is a really powerful tactic of abuse and has been around forever, but it has only been discussed more openly in the past few years. It is one of the most powerful brainwashing techniques that abusers use – it may be subtle but what it does is make you Read more
The months, and perhaps even years, of stress and overwhelm can take it’s toll on your confidence and self-esteem. When you are in an unhappy relationship you can have little energy, time or inspiration for yourself . If you are in a controlling relationship you might not be ‘allowed’ to Read more
Julie came to see me as she wanted to divorce her husband and had been wanting this for many years, but for some reason, there was always something stopping her from taking that first step. Julie was clear that her marriage was over but needed someone to support her and Read more
From 25th August 2020, vulnerable victims of domestic abuse will no longer have to face their abuser in court. They can give pre-recorded evidence in a new move that will help prevent further trauma and help victims offer their best evidence to court. This seems like a simple change but Read more
Leaving any relationship is difficult – being the one to make the final decision, having to have ‘that’ conversation with your partner, there is no getting away from it, choosing to leave someone who has effectively controlled most if not all of your life for some time is scary. Here Read more
I am delighted to introduce Cheryl Lee-White a local parenting blogger who has kindly written this blog all about self-care, which is sooo important! Time Out for You Taking time out for you and implementing a self-care routine is probably one of the best things you can do as a Read more
Rachel found me after reaching out to her local domestic abuse organisation for advice. Unfortunately due to the way they are funded they were unable to help as she wasn’t local to them but they referred her to a similar service in her local area for support. However, after speaking Read more
Yesterday I was watching Lorraine on GMTV https://www.itv.com/lorraine talking about domestic abuse and she mentioned a phrase that a previous survivor of domestic abuse had described: ‘I wasn’t bruised on the outside, but I was black and blue on the inside’. This phrase literally blew me away. It was the Read more