Don’t ask, “what is wrong with this woman?” Ask, “what has happened to this woman?”
When helping professionals focus on “what is wrong” with a woman who has experienced abuse, they miss the point entirely and usually do more damage to the woman. We see this often. Women who have been impacted by abuse are seen to have something wrong with them because they are anxious or depressed or self-medicating in one way or another. These are all normal reactions to abuse! The helping professional or supportive friend needs to ask “what has happened to this woman?” not, “what is wrong with this woman?”
Announcing When Love Hurts, the podcast, with Karen McAndless-Davis and Jill Cory
What if everything you thought you knew about abuse wasn’t quite right? What do you…
“I wish I had known sooner”: thoughts on our upcoming podcast
The When Love Hurts podcast will be for anyone who wants to know more about…
A mother’s journey of “letting go” on her own terms
Carolyn A. Rogers, MAPPL, reflects on what it means to “let go,” on her own…
Announcing When Love Hurts, the podcast, hosted by Alison Epp and Jo Neill
Is this thing on?
When Love Hurts reflections, news and resources
Reflections from a four-decade journey working toward a safer and more respectful world for women…
The destruction of parental alienation accusations: one woman’s story
When asked to write an article on the impacts parental alienation accusations had on me…
A framework of healing from coercive control and abuse
This descriptive framework is a collection of signs, feelings, actions, attitudes, and more, that indicate…
Women’s experiences of counsellors
Over the years, we have heard stories from women of counsellors who offered advice that…