Tag: relationships

Be Careful What You Test For — Because Sometimes You Get the Answer

Long-term relationships can suffer when partners resort to emotional games for reassurance, such as becoming distant or provoking jealousy. These behaviors often stem from insecurity and can lead to misunderstandings. Instead of testing their partner’s feelings, individuals should engage in open conversations to address underlying issues, fostering genuine intimacy.… Read More Be Careful What You Test For — Because Sometimes You Get the Answer

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I’ll Make You Jealous — But What If You Actually Leave?

Some individuals provoke jealousy in their partners to rekindle attention in faltering relationships, believing it will elicit a caring response. This tactic can backfire, leading to disengagement instead of renewed affection. Healthy communication is vital, as jealousy often reveals deeper emotional issues rather than fostering genuine connection.… Read More I’ll Make You Jealous — But What If You Actually Leave?

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Enough Is Enough: Why Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence Matters

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner

Domestic violence is often viewed as a private matter, but it requires public acknowledgment and support. Victims need validation and assistance from friends and family. It is essential to challenge the normalization of abuse, provide real support, and ensure that victims do not face their struggles alone. Silence only enables the abuse to persist.… Read More Enough Is Enough: Why Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence Matters

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What does the AMPD actually assess?

AMPD, or the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders, is a dimensional approach in the DSM-5 that assesses personality functioning and maladaptive traits. It evaluates identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy while categorizing traits under negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism. This model aids in a comprehensive understanding for treatment planning, without labeling individuals as abusive.… Read More What does the AMPD actually assess?

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Operant conditioning

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner © 2025 Linda Carol Turner. Content protected by copyright.
Reproduction or redistribution in any form requires prior written permission from the author.
When quoting or referencing, please cite: Linda Carol Turner, Psychology & Neuroscience Insights.

B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning illustrates how behaviors are learned through reinforcement, as seen in both animal studies and complex human relationships. In abusive environments, individuals adapt their behavior based on unpredictable consequences, leading to automatic responses. However, upon leaving such situations, new positive experiences can foster healthier behavioral patterns.… Read More Operant conditioning

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The Wider Impact of Abuse: When One Abusive Relationship Affects an Entire Relational System

Domestic abuse is not confined to the victim; it impacts the entire relational environment, affecting children, relatives, and friends. Chronic exposure to abuse leads to altered behaviors, hypervigilance, and emotional exhaustion within the social network. Recognizing these wider effects is crucial for understanding and addressing the full repercussions of such abuse.… Read More The Wider Impact of Abuse: When One Abusive Relationship Affects an Entire Relational System

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Family Systems of Denial

By Linda C J Turner, Therapist & Advocate — Linda C J Turner Trauma Therapist | Neuroscience & Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | Advocate for Women’s Empowerment ©Linda C J Turner

The content discusses the effects of witnessing intergenerational abuse, emphasizing the psychological complexities of denial within families. Survivors often struggle with acknowledging their experiences when family members refuse to recognize the abuse, creating feelings of isolation. Therapy can help survivors separate their experiences from their family’s responses, allowing healing and agency.… Read More Family Systems of Denial

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Trauma Informed Assessment

When a clinician is assessing for multidimensional abuse, they are generally looking beyond a single incident and examining the pattern, domains, severity, impact, risk and degree of control within the relationship. It is not simply a checklist asking, “Were you hit?” A good assessment tries to understand the person’s lived environment. What a clinical assessment may examine 1. Psychological and… Read More Trauma Informed Assessment

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Multidimensional Abuse: When Abuse Takes More Than One Form

Diagram labeled sympathetic overdrive, amygdala hyperactivity, brainstem response, hypothalamus, increased senses, heart rate, muscle tension, peripheral nervous system, somatic nerves, and sympathetic nerves.

Abuse within an intimate relationship is rarely confined to a single behaviour. While public discussions often focus on physical violence, clinical understanding recognises that interpersonal abuse can occur across multiple domains simultaneously, including psychological, verbal, physical, sexual and financial abuse. When several forms of abuse coexist and interact, this can be described as multidimensional or multidomain… Read More Multidimensional Abuse: When Abuse Takes More Than One Form

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No – I never deserved it!

The content explores the nuances of an apology from someone who has caused emotional and psychological harm. While expressing remorse and acknowledging wrongdoing, the writer avoids specific details of their abusive behavior. The distinction between genuine regret and a lack of accountability is emphasized, as well as the complexity of acknowledging past suffering while grappling with loss. Ultimately, it stresses that recognizing abuse and sincerity can coexist, alongside the critical assertion that the victim “never deserved it.”… Read More No – I never deserved it!

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