What actually happens when domestic violence cases enter the courtroom?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Carol Ann Peterson—expert witness, consultant, and longtime advocate—who brings a behind-the-scenes look at how abuse is understood (and often misunderstood) in criminal, civil, and family court.

We talk about what expert witnesses really do, when they can make a difference, and why context—not isolated incidents—is critical in understanding abuse. Dr. Peterson also shares how survivors are often misperceived in court, how abusers present, and what decision-makers frequently get wrong.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on the systems many survivors are navigating—and highlights where change is still urgently needed.

About Carol Ann: Dr. Carol Ann Peterson is an expert witness, consultant, and nationally recognized trainer specializing in domestic and intimate partner violence. She has trained with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and has consulted with the U.S. Attorney General’s Office, the California Attorney General’s Office, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, and the Los Angeles City Attorney.

Dr. Peterson has served as an expert witness in criminal, civil, and family court cases for both prosecution and defense, including district attorneys, public defenders, and private attorneys. She is a certified strangulation prevention expert and a member of the Expert Advisory Group for DomesticShelters.org.

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A lot of survivors feel exhausted for a long time.

Physically tired.
Mentally overloaded.
Emotionally drained.

And then one day, something shifts.

Anger shows up.

And what surprises many people is not just the anger. It is the energy that comes with it.

In this episode, we are looking at anger in a different way. Not just as something to manage or calm down, but as something that can actually be useful when you understand how to work with it.

Because anger is one of the few emotions that brings movement back into a system that has been stuck in survival mode.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why trauma often leads to exhaustion and low energy
• What is happening in your body when anger shows up
• Why anger can feel uncomfortable or even scary
• The ways anger often gets pushed down or turned inward
• How anger can support boundaries and decision making
• The difference between feeling anger and acting on it
• Practical ways to release and direct anger energy
• How anger can reconnect you with your values and your voice

This episode is especially helpful if you have started to feel more anger and are not sure what to do with it.

Join the Rising Beyond Community today. Learn more at https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/membership.html

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

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What actually happens in a domestic violence assessment? And how do you know if you even need one?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Lisa Fontes, an expert in coercive control and domestic violence assessments, to talk about something many survivors are navigating but don’t fully understand — how these evaluations and expert witnesses show up in family court.

If you’ve ever been told to “get an expert” or wondered if that would help your case, this conversation will give you a clearer picture of what that actually means and when it might (and might not) be helpful.

We also talk about the reality that many survivors face in family court — where experiences like coercive control, sexual coercion, and post-separation abuse are often misunderstood, minimized, or not given the weight they deserve.

Inside this episode, we talk about:
• What a domestic violence or coercive control assessment actually looks like
• The difference between an expert witness and a subject matter expert
• When an expert can be helpful in family court — and when they may not be necessary
• Why self-report assessments can be unreliable in abuse cases
• How coercive control and sexual abuse often go unrecognized in legal settings
• What “manufactured” claims and “provoke and record” tactics can look like
• The misuse of the term “parental alienation” and how it shows up in court
• Why post-separation abuse is often missed — and why that matters
• How to evaluate whether an expert witness is actually qualified
• The growing trend of survivors pursuing civil cases for damages

This episode is especially relevant if you are navigating family court, dealing with custody issues, or trying to figure out how to advocate for yourself in systems that may not fully understand abuse.

Join the Rising Beyond Community today. Learn more at https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/membership.html

Please leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.

If you want to chat more about this topic I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpc

If you want to support the show you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.

If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
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