When relationships seem incredibly difficult and unsafe, something is wrong. It can help to talk to someone about what is going on, to gain clairty about what is happening, what is in your control (and what isn’t), and how to stay safe. I will support you without judgement as you decide what is best for you.

Abuse takes many forms, including emotional, social, financial, verbal, psychological, intellectual, sexual, and physical. A dynamic of power and control underlies all forms of abuse. Sometimes abuse is hard to recognize, because abuse often happens in a cycle, with periods of calm and apparent good times between periods of tension and aggression. I help women develop a framework to understand the cycle of abuse that may be occurring in their relationships.

The ending of a marriage is difficult, no matter what led to the end. There is grief and loss - we mourn the loss of the relationship we hoped for, the loss of time with our children, the impact on our children, the loss of our vision for motherhood, the loss of friendships, the loss of a home, and so much more. There can also be litigation, financial distress, significaat health impacts, and loneliness. Divorce is a significant life stressor, even if it ultimately leads you of freedom and tranquility.

When your child’s other parent uses coercive control and attempts to sabotage the healthy attachment you have with your child, co-parenting becomes incredibly challenging. It can be helpful to have someone to talk to about how to mitigate the harm and foster a strong bond with your children when they are being impacted by the abusive behaviour of a co-parent.

Despite common assumptions, abuse and control does not stop after separation. I many cases it gets worse. Many women experience ongoing harassment, litigation abuse, and false claims of parental alienation. Abusive men often use their children as conduits to continue to emotionally abuse their ex partners. It can be very overwhelming to experience post separation abuse.

Fundamentalist religious groups exert power and control over their members trough teachings that emphasize a distrust of self, fear of eternal damnation, strict obedience, and that we are born with a sinful nature. Adults who are now deconstructing from high control religious background are often shocked to realize how much harm they endured as children. If this is part of your story, I will hold space gently for you to explore how this aspect of your life still impacts you today.

It is not safe for women to attend couples counselling if control or abuse is present in the relationship. It can perpetuate more abuse. I do not see couples; however, if you wish to pursue couples counselling, I am able to refer you toward a skilled therapist who is trained to assess couples for abuse and refer men who use power and control to appropriate services.