When many people hear the word “abuse” in reference to a relationship or
marriage, their minds may instantly go to physical abuse or violence.
Unfortunately, this is not the full picture when it comes to abuse, as Dr. Christine
Cocchiola goes on to explain. Abusive relationships can drag on painfully for a
long time without one partner even fully comprehending the abuse due to
something called coercive control, which manifests itself in gaslighting,
victim-blaming, and more. Christine M. Cocchiola, DSW, LCSW is an
expert on the experiences of adult and
child victims of coercive control. A college
professor teaching social work, she
received her doctorate in clinical social
work from New York University working
under the tutelage of Dr. Evan Stark. She
presents nationally and internationally on
coercive control with a focus on educating professionals, advocates,
and protective parents, on the experiences of children and best
intervention strategies for adult and child victims of coercive
control/narcissistic abuse. She is the creator of The Protective
Parenting Program, a therapeutic evidence based attachment
focused program for parents of children harmed by abusers. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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