Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. Traumatic events that can lead to PTSD include but are not limited to, serious accidents, physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, combat, or life-threatening situations. PTSD is characterized by a range of symptoms that can significantly impact a person’s daily life and well-being.
One of the most unexpected parts of healing has not been what I see in myself, but what other people see in me. Recently, friends, family, and even people I haven’t seen for a while have been making similar comments. “You look so much more relaxed.” “You seem more confident.” “You’re glowing.” “You smile so… Read More “You Look Different”: The Neuroscience of Finally Feeling Safe
Trauma can leave survivors questioning their own memories, doubting their judgement, and wondering whether what they experienced was “bad enough” to matter. This self-doubt is often the result of years of gaslighting, manipulation, and coercive control, where the perpetrator repeatedly distorts reality until the survivor begins to mistrust their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The psychological… Read More When Abuse Is Minimized: The Hidden Psychological Harm
For many survivors, divorce is one chapter. A financial settlement is another. Neither of those processes necessarily addresses what happened behind closed doors. Legal matters determine how assets are divided, where people live, and how finances are resolved. They do not automatically acknowledge years of coercive control, emotional abuse, psychological manipulation, intimidation, or violence. For many… Read More Why Having Abuse Recognised Matters: The Psychology and Neuroscience of Acknowledgement
Supporting someone after an abusive or controlling relationship is not about having all the answers. It is about creating an environment where they can feel safe, respected and free to rebuild their confidence at their own pace. Small, consistent acts of kindness often make a greater difference than dramatic gestures. What to Do ✓ Listen… Read More Helping Someone Recover After Abuse: What to Do—and What Not to Do
No survivor of abuse wakes up and says, “Today, I’ll spend my time in a police station, reporting the person I once loved.” No one who is already fighting just to survive chooses to put themselves through the overwhelming stress of making statements, giving evidence in court, and reliving their trauma in front of strangers. The idea… Read More Deeply Harmful
When family members involve children or grandchildren in denying, minimizing, or covering up abusive behaviour, it places enormous psychological pressure on everyone involved — especially the younger generations. From a neuroscience and psychology perspective, several dynamics often overlap: For the people witnessing this, the impact can be profound: One of the hardest parts is that… Read More Involving Children and Grandchildren
When someone looks away, avoids eye contact, or struggles to maintain eye contact when talking about their past or past relationships, it can mean many things — and neuroscience reminds us not to jump to conclusions. It is not automatically “lying” or “hiding.” Often, it is about nervous system activation. 🧠 The neuroscience of looking away Eye… Read More Avoiding Eye Contact
Abuse is not a “two versions of reality” situation in any meaningful moral sense.Whatever cognitive or emotional narratives people build afterwards, abuse is defined by behaviour and its impact, not by interpretation. ⚖️ The important distinction 1. Abuse is behaviour-based, not perception-based In psychology and law, abuse is identified through patterns of actions, such as: Those things… Read More Abuse is not a “two versions of reality”
When dealing with Domestic Abuse or Gender-Based Violence, the amount of paperwork can feel relentless: It can feel like a second job layered on top of surviving trauma. That’s exhausting—and it’s also why many survivors feel re-traumatized by the process. Why documentation matters psychologically and legally 1. Trauma affects memory Trauma Memory During abuse, the brain… Read More Paperwork
A very common—and very powerful—psychological experience after prolonged emotional manipulation, abuse, or chronic invalidation. When someone has spent a long time being told “you’re the problem”, even when they aren’t, the brain adapts to that environment. It starts to treat self-doubt as survival. That’s not weakness. That’s neuroscience. The psychology of “maybe it was me” One… Read More The psychology of “maybe it was me”
Linda C J Turner | Trauma Therapist & Emotional Healing Specialist 