Abuse

Abuse occurs when people in our lives intentionally behave in a manner towards you that causes harm to you on a regular basis, and involves them having power and control over you. Such abuse can take many forms, including emotional, physical or sexual. Anyone can be a victim of abuse and it can happen anywhere. The abuser could be a family member, someone in a position of trust or a stranger.

Abuse can be coercive, which is confusing and misleading. It can cause people to doubt what is happening, to blame themselves or think they can change the situation by behaving differently.Due to the manipulative nature, sometimes people just don’t realise what they are experiencing is wrong or not their fault and often describe the situation as normal. 

It can be very hard to challenge, or to talk about, because the nature of the abuse wears you down and causes you to question yourself or deny your needs.That’s why it’s important victims know there are counsellors that can recognise what’s going on and offer non-judgemental support. Counselling gives someone a space; they know they don’t feel ok but sometimes it takes them a while to talk about why. For people in abusive situations, it’s important for them to know they can come to a place where they can talk, where they can feel safe and where they are not judged.