THERAPY FOR INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE · In-person and Online
You deserve relationships where you feel safe, respected, and free to be yourself.
Intimate partner violence can take many forms, and it is not always easy to recognize when you are living inside it. Therapy can offer a confidential space to understand what you are experiencing, reconnect with your own perspective, and consider what safety and healing might look like for you.
Abuse is not always physical.
Intimate partner violence can involve patterns of behaviour that create fear, control, dependency, isolation, or a loss of freedom within a relationship. These dynamics can develop gradually. There may also be periods of tenderness, connection, remorse, or hope alongside experiences that are frightening, controlling, or harmful. This complexity can make it difficult to understand what is happening or decide what you want to do. You may be experiencing:
- motional or psychological abuse
- physical violence or threats of violence
- sexual coercion or sexual violence
- controlling who you see, where you go, or what you wear
- manipulation that leaves you questioning your own perceptions or memories
You do not need to have a label for what is happening before talking about it in therapy.
HOW THERAPY CAN HELP
What We Can Work on Together
- understanding patterns of abuse and coercive control
- making sense of confusing or contradictory experiences in the relationship
- recognizing how fear and chronic stress affect the nervous system
- rebuilding trust in your own perceptions and judgment
- working with shame, guilt, and self-blame
- understanding trauma responses following violence or abuse
- identifying boundaries and what safety means for you
When appropriate, therapy can also support you in thinking through safety and connecting with additional community, legal, medical, or crisis resources.
Your life can become your own again.
- feeling safer and more grounded in your body
- trusting your perceptions and instincts again
- feeling less responsible for another person’s behaviour
- reconnecting with friends, family, community, interests, and parts of yourself that became distant
- rediscovering preferences, desires, and goals that are your own
- developing relationships where disagreement does not mean danger
- imagining a future that is not organized around another person’s reactions
- experiencing more hope, motivation, and connection to your life
WHO THIS MAY BE A GOOD FIT FOR
Therapy for intimate partner violence may be a good fit if…
- you are currently experiencing abuse or coercive control
- you are unsure whether what you are experiencing is abuse
- you feel afraid of your partner or find yourself changing your behaviour to prevent their reactions
- you have experienced physical or sexual violence within a relationship
- you feel isolated from friends, family, or other sources of support
Starting therapy
Choose a therapist and appointment time that works for you. You can meet in person in Toronto or virtually across Ontario.
Your first session is a chance to talk about what brings you to therapy, what you hope will feel different, and what support might be most helpful.
Begin at your own pace
Together, we’ll build a therapy process that feels collaborative, thoughtful, and responsive to your needs..
Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence with Ivana Psychotherapy
Our therapists support people who are currently experiencing intimate partner violence as well as those healing from abusive, controlling, or coercive relationships. We understand that intimate partner violence can affect safety, identity, relationships, trust, and the nervous system. Our approach is relational and trauma-informed, with respect for each person’s circumstances, choices, and pace. Therapy is not about telling you what you should do. It is about helping you understand what you are experiencing, access support, and strengthen your ability to make decisions about your own life.
She must be the author and arbiter of her own recovery.
— Judith Herman
Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence in Toronto and Ontario
You are beautiful
Individual and couples therapy for adults Intimate Partner Violence In-Person and Online