Coercive control is increasingly recognized as a significant form of psychological abuse, yet it remains frequently misunderstood, misidentified, or overlooked in clinical practice. In 2021, California became one of the first states to explicitly recognize coercive control as a form of domestic violence under the law, reflecting a growing understanding that abuse often extends beyond physical violence to include patterns of intimidation, isolation, manipulation, surveillance, and control. Despite this shift, many mental health professionals receive little formal training in identifying coercive control or distinguishing it from high-conflict relationship dynamics.    

Because coercive control often presents as relationship conflict, personality pathology, co-parenting difficulties, or communication problems, clinicians may inadvertently miss critical indicators of abuse or reinforce harmful dynamics. This advanced workshop explores the behavioral, relational, and systemic patterns that distinguish coercive control from high-conflict relationships. Participants will examine common clinical blind spots, including cognitive biases, diagnostic assumptions, and traditional therapeutic frameworks that can contribute to the failure to recognize coercive control.      

The presentation will also address how therapeutic interventions, clinical documentation, and mental health systems may be manipulated or weaponized within ongoing patterns of abuse. Through case-based discussion and practical application, attendees will learn trauma-informed, power-based assessment and treatment strategies designed to improve clinical decision-making, support survivor safety, and reduce the risk of inadvertently reinforcing coercive dynamics.