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.

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

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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

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

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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.

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

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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.

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

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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.

Want to have your questions featured on a Friday Coaching Corner? Send me a short summary of your situation and 2–3 questions at [email protected].

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice, mental health treatment, or a substitute for advice from professionals familiar with your specific situation. Every parenting plan and court order is different. If you have questions about your legal obligations or your child's safety, consult with a qualified attorney and other professionals knowledgeable about coercive control and family court dynamics. 

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

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There is something many survivors quietly wonder but don’t always say out loud:

Will this ever end?
Will my kids be okay?
Will I ever feel like myself again?

In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer, who spent over a decade navigating post-separation abuse and repeated family court litigation. Her story isn’t shared to scare you. It’s shared because so many survivors are living this reality and need to know they are not alone and that hope is still possible.

We talk about what it actually looks like to survive years of legal conflict while still showing up for your children, managing fear about what could happen next, and holding onto small pieces of hope along the way.

Jennifer shares honestly about:

• The emotional toll of repeated court motions and legal uncertainty
• The exhaustion of constant documentation and preparing for the unknown
• The fear of lies being told in court that you cannot fully prepare for

But this conversation is also about what survivors rarely get to hear:

What happens when you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation:

Healing isn’t just about surviving the legal process.
It’s about eventually finding yourself again.

If you are in the middle of this right now and feel exhausted, discouraged, or unsure if things will ever get better, this episode is meant to remind you:

You can make it through this. Your kids can be okay. And there is life after survival mode.

Connect with Jennifer: 

https://open.substack.com/pub/jenniferpeyton356426

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

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Have you ever walked out of a court hearing, a meeting with a professional, or even a hard parenting moment and thought, 

“Well, that didn’t come out the way I meant it?”

Maybe your anxiety came out sharp.  

Maybe your urgency sounded like anger.

Or maybe you were doing everything you knew of to protect your child but feel like you showed up as “mentally unstable.”

When you have lived through coercive control and continued post separation abuse, your nervous system will continually scan for danger and has been conditioned to suppress specific emotions like anger.  This can be a huge obstacle as you heal and try to get decision makers to understand the truth about what is going on.

In this episode, we dive into why emotional intelligence is one of the biggest healing and protective strategies for you and your children.  Emotional intelligence is about noticing what is happening inside you so that you can show up in ways you feel good about.

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

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How are you, really? With the Jeffrey Epstein coverage everywhere, many survivors are feeling triggered, angry, betrayed, and exhausted. The language in the media. The redactions. The victim blaming. The protection of powerful people. It is a reminder of the same power and control dynamics many of you are living through in family court and post separation abuse.

In this episode, I am not breaking down the files or diving into case details. Instead, I am talking about the impact.

Why this coverage hits so hard.
Why systemic betrayal feels personal.
Why it is exhausting to watch people in power protect each other.
And what you can do if you find yourself doomscrolling, dysregulated, or unable to turn it off.

We talk about:

• The harm of language that minimizes abuse
• How power structures silence victims
• Why betrayal from trusted public figures feels destabilizing
• When to limit exposure to media
• How to protect your nervous system
• The two steps that actually matter if we want change
  
  

If you are overwhelmed, you are not weak.
If you are angry, it makes sense.
If you need to turn it off, you are allowed.

Believe survivors.
Hold people accountable.

That is where it starts.

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
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We have been conditioned to be polite over safe. To make others comfortable even when our bodies are signaling danger. To be small, sweet, accommodating.

That conditioning increases risk for women, especially survivors of coercive control. What kept you safer inside an abusive relationship can make you more vulnerable outside of it.

I unpack why love bombing is better understood as grooming. It is not just gifts or grand gestures. It is learning your values and vulnerabilities so they can be used later.

We also talk about:

• Trusting your body’s warning signals
• Seeing trauma responses as data
• Practicing strategic rudeness when something feels off
• Using the broken record approach in communication
• Naming patterns clearly with an ex or even professionals
• Teaching your children discernment instead of forced politeness

Your discomfort matters.
Your instincts matter.
And awareness is the first step in breaking this conditioning for you and your kids.

If this episode brings something up for you, I would love to hear from you.

BOOK: The Gift of Fear: https://a.co/d/0gxTtekZ

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

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A mother of three is navigating ongoing post-separation abuse from two different ex-partners. After disagreeing with a proposed school and therapist change, her second ex escalated with threats of full custody, weaponizing her trauma history and mental health. Shortly after, her first ex announced a move near the second ex, and she discovered the two men have been communicating.

With limited financial resources, no attorney, and little outside support, she is trying to understand what is happening, how to protect herself and her children, and how to respond without making the situation worse.

This episode explores coordinated coercive tactics, fear-based legal threats, and how protective parents can ground themselves, preserve stability, and respond strategically without escalating conflict.

Questions Answered in This Episode

1. Have you ever seen two abusive ex-partners coordinate or team up, and why does this happen?
2. How should a protective parent respond when custody threats and mental health accusations are used as leverage after saying no?
3. What practical steps can you take to protect yourself and your children, especially when you cannot afford an attorney and want to avoid court?

Want your question featured in a future Friday Coaching Corner? Send a short paragraph explaining your situation and 2–3 specific questions to [email protected].

Download the free script guide, Protective Parenting Scripts for Hard Moments: https://mailchi.mp/risingbeyondpc/parentingscripts

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice, mental health treatment, or a substitute for advice from professionals familiar with your specific situation. Every parenting plan and court order is different. If you have questions about your legal obligations or your child's safety, consult with a qualified attorney and other professionals knowledgeable about coercive control and family court dynamics. 

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/

Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.html

If you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7

Where to find more from Rising Beyond:
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