Repetition Compulsion in Psychodynamic Therapy

Definition:Repetition compulsion is a concept introduced by Sigmund Freud in psychoanalytic theory. It refers to the tendency of individuals to repeat behaviors, situations, or relationships that mirror unresolved conflicts or traumatic experiences from the past, often unconsciously. How It Manifests Example:A person who grew up with inconsistent parental care may unconsciously seek partners who are emotionally unavailable,… Read More Repetition Compulsion in Psychodynamic Therapy

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: This silence isn’t neutral.It’s a choice. Why This Keeps… Read More When Families Know About Abuse

When Families Know About Abuse — and Choose Silence

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: This silence isn’t neutral.It’s a choice. Why This Keeps… Read More When Families Know About Abuse — and Choose Silence

In Simple Terms: What’s Actually Going On

This isn’t new behaviour.It’s the same pattern that’s been happening for decades — just playing out in a different way. When someone ignores divorce proceedings, doesn’t respond to solicitors, blocks the sale of a house, removes signs, and then later blames or sues you for delays — that isn’t confusion or bad communication. It’s control.… Read More In Simple Terms: What’s Actually Going On

“This Isn’t New — It’s the Same Game in a Different Arena”Why Long-Term Mind Games Continue After Separation

When you’ve lived with decades of psychological manipulation, the most destabilising part isn’t the behaviour itself. It’s the moment you realise:This is just a continuation of the same pattern. Different setting.Different language.Same impact on your nervous system. That recognition is not bitterness.It’s pattern recognition. What Kind of Person Does This? From a trauma-informed and neuroscience perspective,… Read More “This Isn’t New — It’s the Same Game in a Different Arena”Why Long-Term Mind Games Continue After Separation

How to Deal With This Without Going Crazy(A Trauma-Informed, Neuroscience-Based Guide)

First, an important reframe: If you feel anxious, angry, hyper-alert, exhausted, or mentally foggy in this situation, you are not “going crazy.”Your nervous system is responding normally to an abnormal level of prolonged uncertainty and control. The goal is not to “stay calm.”The goal is to stay regulated enough to function and protect yourself. 1. Stop Treating This… Read More How to Deal With This Without Going Crazy(A Trauma-Informed, Neuroscience-Based Guide)

When Divorce Becomes a Control Strategy: A Neuroscience Perspective

What happens when you file for divorce in 2024 and the other person says “no”?What happens when your solicitor receives no response for months?When you try to sell the house, put forward offers, and hear nothing?When “For Sale” signs are quietly removed in the night?And then—one year later—you are accused, sued, or taken to court… Read More When Divorce Becomes a Control Strategy: A Neuroscience Perspective

🧠 Why a Psychologist’s Shock Is Neurologically Significant

When a trained psychologist is visibly shocked, it tells you something important about the severity and objectivity of what you endured. This is not about validation through emotion. It’s about clinical reality breaking through professional neutrality. 🧠 Why a Psychologist’s Shock Is Neurologically Significant Psychologists are trained to: So when their face gives it away, something unusual is happening at a… Read More 🧠 Why a Psychologist’s Shock Is Neurologically Significant

Exposing the Abuser (No Sugar-Coating)

Let’s start with the truth most survivors are pressured not to say: Abusers rely on silence, minimisation, and “being the bigger person.”Protection of abusers is one of the most socially normalised forms of harm. 1. Abuse Is Not “Loss of Control” — It Is Selective Control Abusers: Then claim: “I just snapped”“I’m blunt”“I was stressed”“That’s just how I… Read More Exposing the Abuser (No Sugar-Coating)