Recover From Coercive Control
Coercive Control Recovery Counselling (Online)
Making sense of something that didn’t feel right
Trying to understand a high-control group or coercive relationship can be confusing, isolating, and deeply unsettling.
You may be:
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questioning your experience
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second-guessing your thoughts or decisions
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feeling a loss of identity or direction
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unsure whether what you experienced “counts”
You don’t need to have clear answers to begin.
Support can help you make sense of things—at your own pace, and in your own way.
This work may be helpful if you have:
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left a cult or high-control group
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been involved in a group that now feels difficult to understand
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experienced coercive or controlling dynamics in a relationship (“cult of two”)
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grown up in a family environment where control, pressure, or obligation shaped your thinking
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are still unsure, but something doesn’t feel right
You don’t need a label to seek support.
A sense that something was off is enough.​​
Online counselling is for people affected by
coercive control, including:
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cults and high-control groups
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controlling or manipulative relationships
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complex family dynamics
Sessions are:
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one-to-one
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confidential
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conducted online (accessible across Australia and internationally, with some timezone limits)
This work may be helpful if you have:
Trying to understand a high-control group or coercive relationship can be confusing, isolating, and deeply unsettling.
You may be:
​
-
questioning your experience
-
second-guessing your thoughts or decisions
-
feeling a loss of identity or direction
-
unsure whether what you experienced “counts”
You don’t need to have clear answers to begin.
Support can help you make sense of things—at your own pace, and in your own way.
A specialised and lived understanding
This work is informed by both professional training and lived experience.
Renee has personally navigated:
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high-control environments
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coercive relationships
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exposure to ideological and belief-based systems
Renee is also the parent of an adult child who has been actively recruited into a control group. This perspective brings a level of understanding that is both clinical and deeply human. Her role is not to tell you what to believe or how to interpret your experience, but to support you in reconnecting with your own thinking, values, and choices.
How therapy can help
Recovery is not about being told what happened. It’s about gradually making sense of it for yourself.
Counselling can support you to:
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understand patterns of coercive control
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rebuild trust in your own thinking
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process emotional and psychological impact
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explore identity, values, and autonomy
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move forward in a way that feels grounded and self-directed
You don’t need to do this all at once. Understanding often unfolds over time.
Approaches used
Renee offers individualised therapy, shaped around your needs and how you process.
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No two experiences of a “wolf in grandma’s clothing” are the same—and therapy shouldn’t be either.
Below are some of the evidence-based approaches Renée draws on:
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Talk-based counselling
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For those who prefer to process through conversation, talk-based therapy offers a structured, evidence-based way to:
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explore thoughts and experiences
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make meaning through language
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gently organise what may feel confusing or fragmented
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Art therapy
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Not everything can be easily put into words.
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Art therapy provides an alternative, evidence-based way of processing— supporting expression, regulation, and understanding through creative means.
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No artistic skill is required.
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(Some people move between these approaches. Others prefer one. The work is always adapted to you.)
You don’t have to be certain
Many people who reach out are not sure what they’ve experienced.
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They may feel:
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confused
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conflicted
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uncertain
That’s okay. You don’t need a clear label or explanation to begin. Just a willingness to explore.
Healing happens over time
Healing from coercive control is not always linear.
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It often involves revisiting, rethinking, and gradually rebuilding.
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Support can make that process less isolating—and more grounded in your own voice.
Trauma-Informed
Renée's approach recognises that trauma is not just a story held in the mind, but an experience stored in the nervous system and the body.
Drawing on insights from neuroscience, Renee understands how overwhelming experiences can disrupt memory processing, heighten threat responses, and leave people feeling stuck in survival mode long after they are safe.
Healing, therefore, involves more than talking — it involves gently helping the brain and body relearn safety.
Professional
Sessions are facilitated by Renee, a professional therapist with lived experience of overcoming coercive control.
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Renee completed a Masters in Mental Health, specialising in Art Therapy, at the University of Queensland in 2018. Renee has also completed a Graduate of Diploma of Psychology at the University of Melbourne.
Renee has been working as a Community Mental Health Practitioner since 2019. She is registered with PACFA (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia).
Client Centred
All counselling sessions prioritise client's autonomy and self-discovery, creating a non-judgmental space where individuals can explore their thoughts and feelings at their own pace.
Working collaboratively, with empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness, individuals engage with a therapeutic process.
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Sessions may include talk based therapies, or creative arts psychotherapy, as per individual preference.
Zoom
In recent years, online counselling has gained popularity as a convenient and accessible alternative to traditional in-person therapy sessions. Platforms like Zoom provide a secure and user-friendly interface for virtual counselling sessions.
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Zoom's encryption and privacy measures ensure that sessions remain confidential and secure. Therefore providing a safe and supportive space for people to explore their thoughts, feelings, and concerns.
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Research indicates online counselling is as effective as face-to-face.