Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being, encompassing the ability to handle stress, relate to others, make decisions, and navigate the challenges of life. It influences how individuals think, feel, and act, contributing to the overall balance and quality of their lives. Mental health is essential at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
When I began documenting what had happened to me, I made a promise to myself. No stone would be left unturned. Every document would be preserved. Every photograph. Every medical record. Every psychological assessment. Every email. Every text message. Every WhatsApp conversation. Every witness. Every piece of evidence. If it is relevant, it deserves to… Read More No Stone Left Unturned
Choosing the right lawyer may be one of the most important decisions you make after leaving an abusive relationship. Not every lawyer has experience dealing with cases involving coercive control, domestic abuse, complex trauma or long-term patterns of psychological harm. While many are excellent family lawyers, your case may require someone who understands far more… Read More Finding the Right Lawyer for Your Abuse Case
For many perpetrators, the divorce decree or financial settlement feels like the final chapter. They believe the marriage is over, the paperwork has been signed, and they have escaped accountability. They assume that because the relationship has legally ended, the abuse has been buried with it. But for some survivors, that is not the end… Read More When They Think They’ve Got Away With It
One of the biggest misconceptions about domestic abuse is that once the divorce is final and the financial settlement has been agreed, everything is over. It isn’t. A divorce legally ends a marriage. A financial settlement divides assets and resolves financial claims between spouses. Neither necessarily addresses the physical, emotional or psychological harm caused by… Read More Can You Still Take Your Abuse Case to Court After the Divorce and Financial Settlement?
For generations, domestic abuse was often viewed as a “private family matter.” Unless there were visible injuries, many survivors were dismissed, disbelieved, or told to simply “work things out.” Today, the courts are beginning to recognise a truth that survivors have always known: abuse leaves wounds that cannot always be seen. A recent Canadian court… Read More The Hidden Wounds of Domestic Abuse: Why Justice Must Recognise More Than Bruises
The case is significant not only because of the extreme violence described, but because the court recognized that long-term intimate-partner violence can justify a substantial civil damages award. Justice Susan Vella of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice awarded the woman $400,000 in damages after a nine-day trial. The decision followed a 54-year marriage in which the judge found… Read More Landmark Canadian domestic-abuse judgment.
Trust is not built on promises. It is built on honesty. On consistency. On knowing that the person sitting opposite you is living in the same reality that you are. Without truth, trust has nowhere to take root. Relationships Are Built on Shared Reality Every healthy relationship depends on one simple foundation: We both agree… Read More Trust Cannot Grow Where Truth Is Absent
As I’ve been packing to move house, I’ve found myself looking through boxes of old photographs. It’s remarkable how much a photograph can reveal. Not just where you were. But who you were becoming. At first glance, I was smiling in many of them. But when I looked more closely, I saw something I hadn’t noticed… Read More The Woman in the Photographs
There is a lesson I wish someone had impressed upon me many years ago. Don’t rush into another relationship simply because the last one has ended. Give your mind time. Give your body time. Give your nervous system time. Because when we haven’t healed, we are far more likely to overlook things we would normally… Read More Don’t Rush Into the Next Relationship. Heal First.
Today, something unexpected happened at the padel court. A rat darted across our path. There was the usual shriek, a few people jumped, and then everyone burst into laughter. Without missing a beat, I smiled and said: “I’m used to rats… I lived with one for 32 years!” The laughter was instant. Not because anyone… Read More The Rat at the Padel Court
