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.

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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.

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At some point in healing, a lot of people hit this moment:

You were making progress.
You were starting to feel a shift.
And then… it feels like nothing is happening anymore.

It can feel confusing. Frustrating. Even discouraging.

In this episode, we’re talking about something that does not get talked about enough: the phase of healing where things slow down and it starts to feel like you are stuck.

If you have caught yourself thinking: Am I actually getting better? Why does this feel harder again? Shouldn’t I be further along by now?

You are not alone.

What many survivors don’t realize is that there is a phase of healing that is less about big changes and more about integration. And that phase often feels quiet, slow, and sometimes even uncomfortable.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Why healing is not linear and tends to happen in layers
 • What the plateau phase actually is and why it matters
 • Why things can feel slower after the initial stages of healing
 • What is happening in your nervous system during this time
 • Signs you are healing that are easy to miss
 • Why comparison can make this phase feel worse
 • How to look at progress in a more realistic way
 • What actually helps during this stage

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When child protection gets involved, it can feel like everything your ex threatened is starting to happen.

Many survivors were told: “If you leave, I’ll make sure everyone thinks you’re unstable—and I’ll take the kids.”

So when CPS opens an investigation, the fear isn’t just about the process.
It’s about the possibility that the narrative could be turned against you.

In this Friday Coaching Corner episode, we’re talking about how to navigate a CPS investigation when there is a history of coercive control—and when you’re worried your ex will present well while you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or misunderstood.

We’ll walk through:

• How to gauge whether a caseworker understands coercive control and domestic violence
• How to present in a way that is grounded, credible, and child-focused (without overexplaining)
• What CPS is often paying attention to beyond first impressions
• How to prepare your children in a supportive way without coaching or adding pressure

This episode also focuses on something that often gets missed:
You don’t need to outperform your ex.
You need to stay steady, consistent, and anchored in what your children need.

If you’re in the middle of an investigation—or fear this could happen—this conversation will help you move from panic to strategy.

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

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Sometimes the deepest wound isn't just what happened to you.

It's what happens when you try to explain it, and no one believes you.

In this episode, we are talking about epistemic injury — a form of harm that happens when your reality, your knowledge, or your credibility is questioned, dismissed, or minimized. Many survivors of coercive control experience this not only in their relationships but also in the systems they turn to for help.

If you have ever walked out of a meeting, court appointment, therapy session, or conversation, wondering:
 Did I explain that wrong?
 Did I sound crazy?
 Maybe it really is me…

You are not alone. And you are not imagining the impact this has on you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What epistemic injury is and why it affects so many survivors
 • How not being believed can recreate the effects of gaslighting
 • Why this type of injury can be so destabilizing to your identity
 • How systemic betrayal connects to epistemic injury
 • Signs you may be dealing with epistemic injury
 • How healing begins by rebuilding trust in your own perception
 • Why healing sometimes means protecting your reality instead of proving it

This conversation is especially important for survivors navigating family court, post-separation abuse, or professional systems that may not fully understand coercive control.

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What if the most important parts of your story were never being asked about?

Many survivors share a similar fear when the call in law enforcement for help:
What if they only look at what happened that day… and not everything that led up to it?

I'm talking with law enforcement captain, Eric Threlkeld who has over 30 years of experience to talk about something that needs to be discussed more openly: why domestic violence cannot be understood by looking at a single incident, and why patterns of coercive control matter far more than one moment in time.

We talk about what officers are typically trained to look for, what often gets missed, and what happens when professionals start asking different questions.

This conversation also highlights something I want survivors to hear clearly: there are people inside these systems working to better understand coercive control and push for change.

Inside this conversation, we discuss:

• Why domestic violence is a community issue, not just a law enforcement issue
• Why focusing on one incident can miss the real danger
• How trauma impacts how survivors tell their stories
• Why survivors may appear overwhelmed or emotional when finally asking for help
 • Why lethality assessments matter
 • How multidisciplinary teams can improve outcomes
 • The role survivors and advocates play in creating change
 • Why this work can feel discouraging and why it still matters

If you have ever worried that professionals only saw your reaction instead of what you were reacting to, this episode is for you.

Book - STRANGLED: A Survivor's Plea To Men Who Look The Other Way https://www.amazon.com/STRANGLED-Survivors-Plea-Look-Other/dp/B0G8RZX8LV

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What happens when the place you expected to find support becomes another place where you feel unseen?

In this episode, we talk about religious betrayal and how it shows up for survivors of coercive control and domestic abuse. Many survivors seek guidance from faith leaders or communities and are met with messages that unintentionally reinforce harm rather than safety.

We explore how advice meant to preserve relationships can sometimes ignore patterns of power and control, and why this can create deep confusion, shame, and self-doubt.

This conversation also introduces the idea of moral injury and how it can happen when your core values around safety, protection, and dignity collide with messages telling you to tolerate harm.

If you’ve ever wondered:
Did I fail? Did I give up too soon? Did I do something wrong?

I hope to offer a different perspective.

You may not have failed your faith. You may have been protecting what matters most.

This episode will help you start separating harmful messages from your own values and begin rebuilding trust in your own inner compass.

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.

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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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Have you ever felt like your ex keeps pushing and pushing until you finally react… and then suddenly you’re the problem?

In this episode, we’re talking about what I often call manufactured crazy — when someone intentionally provokes reactions and then uses those reactions to support a narrative that you are unstable, high-conflict, or difficult to work with.

We also discuss dog whistles — subtle phrases or references that sound harmless to others but are meant to trigger you because of your shared history. When you react, the focus often shifts to your response instead of the pattern of provocation that led up to it.

This episode explores why this happens, why your nervous system reacts the way it does, and how learning to recognize the setup can help you move from reacting emotionally to responding strategically.

If you’ve ever thought “that is exactly what they wanted me to do,” this conversation will help you understand why — and what you can do differently next time.

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What do you do when you know vague parenting plan language will create problems, but your attorney says you’re asking for too much detail?

In this Bonus Coaching episode, we look at a common situation many protective parents face: trying to create clear agreements around things like extracurricular activities, schedule changes, and communication expectations after experiencing patterns of manipulation or conflict.

When you’ve lived through chaos, wanting clarity isn’t about control. It’s often about trying to protect peace for you and your children.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to tell the difference between healthy specificity and fear-based overplanning
• How to advocate for clearer language when your attorney doesn’t fully understand coercive control dynamics
• Common vague areas in parenting plans that often create problems later

If you’ve ever been told you’re being too detailed when you’re really just trying to prevent future conflict, this episode is for you.

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