Cruelty is not a single act of meanness. It is a sustained system of harm designed to erode a person’s safety, identity, autonomy, and reality—often carried out by one abuser and reinforced by others. When family members participate, cruelty becomes institutional and relational, not just interpersonal. What Makes This Form of Cruelty Distinct 1. Cruelty as… Read More Redefinition of Cruelty (Long-Term, Collective Abuse)
Waking up to the truth rarely happens like in the movies. There’s no dramatic music, no slow-motion montage, no whisper from the universe saying, “Linda… today you shall see clearly.” No.It usually happens in pyjamas, with bed hair, a dodgy knee, and a mug of coffee you reheated twice. At first, the truth arrives quietly. It… Read More Waking Up to the Truth (With Coffee, Glasses, and Zero Tolerance)
Another abuse-free Christmas has come and gone, and honestly? It was completely ordinary. Messy. Loud. Funny. Chocolate everywhere. Wrapping paper resembling a minor crime scene. Films half-watched, half-quoted. Pyjamas worn well past their dignity threshold. Horse boxes. Driving lessons. Laughter at the wrong moments. The good stuff. No miserable faces hovering like rain clouds. No… Read More The Most Ordinary Christmas (And That’s Why It Was Perfect)
Today I celebrate twice — my birthday and Christmas — free from stress, free from fear, and free from abuse for the second year since I chose myself. There is a quiet joy in peace. A deep, steady gratitude in waking up without walking on eggshells. I can spend my money as I choose, give… Read More Two celebrations
This year has not been about revenge, vindication, or proving anything. It has been about alignment. Choosing peace over persuasion. Truth over tradition. And relationships that value people more than balance sheets. Sometimes the greatest healing isn’t rebuilding what was lost —but finally seeing clearly what was never truly there. And choosing yourself anyway. Looking… Read More Looking Forward
After three decades of marriage After more than thirty years of marriage, this past year has been less about endings — and more about revelations. Not sudden ones.Quiet ones.The kind that only become visible once you are no longer living inside survival mode. When you are living in trauma, your nervous system is focused on… Read More Reflecting on the past year
Boundaries, protection, and non-negotiables with ex-partners and their families One of the hardest lessons after leaving a damaging relationship is this: You do not need permission to protect yourself.And you do not need to explain your boundaries to people who benefit from you having none. Why explaining yourself feels so urgent From a neuroscience perspective,… Read More You don’t have to explain yourself
(Neuroscience & psychology) After separation — especially following emotional abuse or high-conflict relationships — contact with an ex-partner’s family can feel uniquely destabilising. This isn’t accidental.Family systems often protect themselves before they protect truth. What’s happening in the family nervous system Arrogance and righteousness in families are usually collective defence mechanisms. When separation threatens the family’s self-image (“We’re… Read More Dealing with arrogance and righteousness in an ex-partner’s family
(Neuroscience & psychology) Arrogance and moral righteousness aren’t signs of strength or certainty.They’re signs of a nervous system trying to protect a fragile sense of self. What’s happening in the brain Arrogance is often a defensive regulation strategy. When someone feels unconsciously threatened — by disagreement, complexity, or being wrong — the brain activates: the amygdala (threat detection),… Read More Dealing with arrogance and righteousness
A final note of thanks:Thank you to all my clients — for your courage, your self-awareness, and for learning (often the hard way) that healing is real, boundaries work, and emotional chaos is not a personality. This Christmas, may your nervous system stay regulated, your amygdala remain on holiday, your boundaries hold firm, and your… Read More Thank you
