“I started this work at the age of 19. I was a child abuse advocate, a sexual abuse advocate, a domestic violence advocate, a therapist — and yet, I didn’t know it was happening to me.”

Dr. Christine Cocchiola is a leading expert on the experience of adult and child victims of coercive control. But even with all her knowledge and training, she found herself living inside the very dynamic she’d dedicated her life to understanding and preventing.

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Dr. Cocchiola shares her own story — the signs she missed, the psychological grip of coercive control, the impact on children, and how to recognise it in your own relationship. She also offers essential guidance on how to protect children from a coercively controlling parent.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the hidden dynamics of control and reclaim their sense of safety and self.

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www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com

Ted X Talk - It's All Coercive Control

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Solo Episode - This week on Beyond Survival – The Therapy Podcast, I’m unpacking the truth behind people pleasing.

So often we think of it as a habit or personality trait - but in reality, it’s a deeply ingrained survival response.

When a child grows up in dysfunction, their nervous system learns that safety comes from centering others and erasing themselves. This fawning response isn’t about being “too nice” - it’s about self-abandonment learned in an environment where needs, emotions, and authenticity weren’t safe.

Join me as I explore how this pattern forms, how it shows up in adulthood, and what healing looks like when we start to reclaim our right to exist, take up space, and be seen.

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BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

This week a listener asks a question: How do I let go of all the rage?

After years of no contact with her abusive family, she’s exhausted by how much power the past still has over her present.

She doesn’t want revenge or empty apologies - she just wants peace. But how do you move forward when there will never be justice? In this episode, we explore what rage really is beneath the surface, why it can feel impossible to release, and how to begin freeing yourself from its grip so you can finally start living for you.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast