Why Coercive Control Trauma-Informed Therapy Training Matters

Why Coercive Control Trauma-Informed Therapy Training Matters

Category: Advocacy Training, Child Custody, Coercive Control Trauma-Informed, Domestic Abuse, Trauma Issues
By Dr. Debra Wingfield

Coercive control is a pattern of domination, humiliation, surveillance, oppression, and other non-physical tactics. These tactics strip away a person’s autonomy, safety, and sense of self—often without leaving a single visible bruise. Yet it’s impact is profound and endures.

Professionals who provide trauma-informed services, such as, therapy, advocacy, family court and legal services, or child welfare support must understand the nuanced and deeply destructive nature of coercive control.

Specialized education and clinical insights cover ethical, trauma-informed care and effective support for survivors. This is critical for their families as well. In my 50+ years of experience as a therapist and coercive control and domestic abuse educator, I recommend these hours as minimal requirements to provide trauma-informed therapy to survivors and children. These courses are offered  through House of Peace Publications.

Coercive Control Trauma-Informed Therapy Training Courses

Dynamics of Coercive Control and Domestic Abuse in Relationships
Suggested Training: 14–28 hours

These advanced courses explore the full spectrum of abusive dynamics in relationships. Topics include:
– Non-physical abuse identification
– Entrapment control dynamics
– Legal implications
– Reproductive coercion and sexual assault
– Trauma-informed responses that respect autonomy

The Impact of Coercive Control on Children: A Trauma-Informed Lens
Suggested Training: 7–14 hours

Children exposed to coercive control may experience:
– Chronic anxiety
– PTSD
– Attachment disruptions

Be equipped as a professional to assess and intervene in ways that support safe, secure parent-child relationships.

Childhood Abuse and Sexual Abuse in Coercively Control Environments
Suggested Training: 7–14 hours

When child abuse, sexual abuse, and incest occur in coercive control environments, trauma becomes even more complex. This course helps professionals address:
– Fragmented identities
– Pervasive shame
– Long-term relational trauma

Understand Coercive Control Trauma-Informed Therapy in Intimate Relationships
Suggested Training: 7–14 hours

Coercive control is more than verbal or emotional abuse—it is a deliberate strategy to dominate and disempower through gaslighting, surveillance, economic control,  isolation, and other harmful tactics. Professionals must learn to:
– Recognize early signs
– Accurately assess safety risks
– Engage in survivor-centered, non-collusive interventions

Trauma-Informed Treatment for Survivors of Coercive Control and Betrayal Trauma
Suggested Training: 7–14 hours

Therapists must understand that betrayal trauma—when a trusted person is also the source of harm—requires a shift in treatment approach. This course focuses on:
– Safety and healthy boundaries
– Rebuilding self-trust and identity
– Post-traumatic growth strategies

Benefits of Trauma-Informed Clinical Experience with Coercive Control
and Sexual Assault Survivors

Drawing on years of work with survivors of coercive control and sexual assault, I have seen how trauma-informed care—grounded in empathy, education, and ethics—empowers survivors to reclaim their lives.

Support Trauma Recovery Toward Functional Independence 

The goal of trauma recovery is short term therapy aimed towards restored autonomy. Survivors thrive when they can:
– Make choices without fear
– Reconnect with their identity
– Engage in supportive, non-controlling relationships

Address the Link Between Childhood Abuse and Adult Coercive Relationships

Many survivors repeat patterns of abuse rooted in unresolved childhood trauma. Become a specialized trained professional to help:
– Identify generational cycles
– Intervene in ways that break them

Recognize the Use of Children as Tools of Control

Post-separation, abusers often use children to:
– Manipulate custody
– Spread false narratives
– Instill fear in protective parents

Trained professionals learn to identify and respond to these tactics to protect children’s safety and stability.

Help Children Thrive with both Parents After Abuse

Court-mandated contact with a coercive parent can cause severe emotional harm to children. Trauma-informed practitioners can:
– Support safe, stable, nurturing parents
– Advocate for environments that heal

Combat Manipulation and Distorted Thought Patterns in Co-Parents

Coercive parents often distort truth and manipulate children to interfere with the safe parent-child relationship. Discover:
– Tools to recognize Child and Mother Sabotage
– Techniques to support emotional health
– Approaches to reinforce truth-telling

Work With Divorced or Separated Parents Around Child Well-being

Coercive control often continues through legal avenues post-divorce. Professionals must:
– Remain vigilant
– Work collaboratively across systems
– Prioritize children’s safety stable, nurturing parent’s.

Final Thoughts

Coercive control may leave no bruises, but its psychological, relational, and developmental impacts are profound.

Specialized trauma-informed trained, clinical supervision, and lived experience are essential to prevent further harm.

Mental health and Court  professionals have an ethical responsibility to be trained in:
– Coercive control dynamics
– Trauma recovery
– Safe, effective therapy interventions

Without this knowledge, survivors may endure ineffective therapy or court intervention—or worse, re-traumatization, which leads them to abandon treatment and professional support altogether.

References

1. Stark, E. (2007). Coercive Control: The Entrapment of Women in Personal Life. Oxford University Press.
2. Stark, E. (2023). Children of Coercive Control. Oxford University Press.
3. Steinke, H. R., & Meshelemiah, J. C. A. (2025). Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Studies in Clinical Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/28376811.2025.2525416
4. Katz, E. (2022). Coercive Control in Children’s and Mothers’ Lives. Oxford University Press