Coercive Control Therapy
This work is provided through individual therapy focused on restoring autonomy, self-trust, and internal authority after controlling or coercive relationships.
Coercive control often does not look dramatic from the outside. There may be no obvious incidents, no single moment that clearly defines what happened. Instead, there is a gradual narrowing of freedom, choice, and internal authority that unfolds over time.
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Many people affected by coercive control describe feeling smaller in their own lives. They may function well externally while privately feeling constrained, anxious, or unsure of themselves in ways they cannot fully explain.
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For many people, this loss of autonomy shows up first as self-doubt in relationships, long before coercive control is named or recognized.
What coercive control can feel like
Coercive control is a pattern rather than an event. It operates through ongoing pressure, monitoring, or emotional consequence rather than overt force.​
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People living within these dynamics may experience:
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A growing sense of needing to manage another person’s reactions
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Difficulty making decisions without reassurance or approval
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Fear of conflict, withdrawal, or emotional consequences
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A tendency to second-guess their needs or boundaries
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Feeling responsible for maintaining emotional stability in the relationship
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A sense that their life has quietly narrowed over time
These patterns can occur in romantic relationships, family systems, or other long-term relational contexts where power and autonomy become imbalanced.
Why coercive control is hard to recognize
Because coercive control often operates without visible aggression, it is frequently minimized or misunderstood. Behaviors may be framed as concern, protectiveness, or “just how the relationship works.” Over time, this can distort your internal reference point for what feels reasonable, allowed, or safe.
Many people arrive in therapy feeling vigilant, unsettled, or disconnected from themselves without initially identifying coercive control as the source. The impact often appears more clearly in the nervous system than in a single narrative memory.
How therapy supports recovery from coercive control
Therapy for coercive control focuses on restoring internal authority and choice rather than assigning labels or blame.
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In my work, this includes:
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Identifying how control operated and how you adapted to stay safe
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Rebuilding trust in your perceptions, preferences, and decisions
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Reducing fear and guilt around boundaries and autonomy
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Supporting nervous system regulation after prolonged relational pressure
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Reconnecting with a sense of self that is not organized around compliance​
This work is paced carefully. The goal is not to push insight or action before your system feels safe enough to hold it.​
Therapy for coercive control in Arizona and online
I provide therapy for adults recovering from coercive and controlling relationship dynamics. Sessions are available in person in Scottsdale and via secure telehealth across Arizona, California, and Massachusetts, where I am licensed.