In family court, one of the most damaging confusions is between a victim of abuse and a person with a victim mentality. On the surface, both may appear distressed, reactive, or emotional. But psychologically, they operate from completely different places, one from survival, the other from manipulation. Understanding this difference isn’t just semantic. It determines whose voice gets believed, whose evidence gets minimized, and whose narrative shapes the court’s perception of

Divorcing someone who operates through coercive control isn’t a “high-conflict divorce.” It’s not two people struggling to communicate or...

When you’re co-parenting with someone who uses manipulation, name-calling, or insulting as a tactic, it’s easy to get pulled into their...

In a coercive control dynamic, children often live in two very different emotional worlds. With the coercive parent, emotions are...

Recognizing Manipulation in Co-Parenting Dynamics When you share custody with a high-conflict co-parent, conversations can feel like...

Children caught in high-conflict co-parenting situations often experience emotional manipulation, coercion, and even outright abuse at...

Divorce is difficult for everyone involved, but when one parent becomes coercive and emotionally manipulative, the burden often falls...