The holiday season can be a high-risk time for survivors of domestic abuse. If you’re planning to travel outside Spain, it’s important to take precautions — even if you already have protection measures in place through the VIOGEN system. 1. Notify the Authorities Before You Travel The VIOGEN system only works within Spain, so you must… Read More Holiday Travel Safety for Survivors of Domestic Violence in Spain
The holiday season can be a high-risk time for survivors of domestic abuse. Many domestic violence centres report an escalation in threats or controlling behaviours during holidays, including inquiries about your whereabouts. Here’s what you can do to stay safe: Plan a safe location for the holidays — consider trusted friends, shelters, or domestic violence centres. Inform authorities:… Read More Finding a Safe Place for Christmas: Holiday Safety Tips for Survivors of Domestic Violence
In Spain, the VioGén system (Sistema de Seguimiento Integral en los casos de Violencia de Género) is a government‑run system designed to help protect people — mostly women — who have reported gender‑based violence(violencia de género). It isn’t an app you turn on, but a coordinated protection and monitoring system used by police and other authorities once a case is reported. sistemaviogen.ses.mir.es+1… Read More What the VioGén System Is
“God’s Waiting Room” is a concept that captures a universal human truth: life is temporary, connections are fleeting, and endings — both small and large — are inevitable. While the term itself isn’t formally named in psychology, it resonates strongly across multiple disciplines and philosophies. 1. Existential Psychology Thinkers like Viktor Frankl and Irvin Yalom… Read More God’s Waiting Room: Embracing Impermanence and Meaning
I am safe. I have spoken out. My healing is progressing. Now it’s time to focus on my life, my growth, and my well-being. Step 1: Maintain Trauma-Informed Support Continue regular sessions with a psychologist or trauma-informed therapist. Explore unresolved feelings and suppressed memories. Consider peer support or survivor groups for validation and connection. Step 2:… Read More Next Chapter: A Step-by-Step Guide
One of the reasons many survivors don’t speak out sooner is simple:they already know they won’t be supported. In some families, the abuse isn’t a secret.It has been seen before.Hints have been dropped.Incidents have been witnessed, minimised, or quietly explained away. Instead of intervening, the family: avoids talking about it protects the abuser’s image pressures… Read More When Families Know About Abuse
One of the reasons many survivors don’t speak out sooner is simple:they already know they won’t be supported. In some families, the abuse isn’t a secret.It has been seen before.Hints have been dropped.Incidents have been witnessed, minimised, or quietly explained away. Instead of intervening, the family: avoids talking about it protects the abuser’s image pressures… Read More When Families Know About Abuse — and Choose Silence
Many survivors ask themselves this question:Why did it take so long to speak out about what happened? The answer isn’t weakness.It’s neuroscience. 1. The Brain Prioritises Safety First When a person is in harm’s way — physically or emotionally — the brain shifts into survival mode.This is not a choice. It’s biology. In threat states:… Read More Why It Took So Long to Speak Out. A Trauma‑Informed Neuroscience Perspective
When the very worst abuse happened — the strangulation — I left for the UK.He flew over to beg me back and promised to get help. I wanted it to work. I had invested decades into an abusive marriage. I had made myself small. I put on a brave face. I kept it all inside.… Read More Speaking the Unspeakable and Beginning to Heal
When you’ve spent decades being told you’re guessing, overthinking, getting it wrong, or imagining things, you eventually stop trusting your own judgement. Not because it’s flawed — but because you’ve been trained to doubt it. You start second-guessing your instincts.You question your memory.You wonder if you are the problem. Then you begin the right kind of therapy.… Read More Giving yourself time — and finding the right therapy — changes everything.
