The love that controls you: Understanding coercive control

574. It doesn't start with a bruise. It starts with devotion that slowly becomes suffocation. The Netflix documentary Death of the Pastor's Wife, released August 26, 2026, has put coercive control back into the national conversation — a pattern of behavior that is now more commonly reported than physical abuse in many contexts and that carries some of the most severe mental health consequences in the intimate partner violence literature. This week Dr. Judy Ho unpacks what coercive control actually is, what drives someone to do it, how trauma bonding keeps people in it, and three evidence-based tools for recognizing it, navigating it, and helping someone you love who may be living it. Have a mental health question? Email Dr. Judy's team at [email protected] Find Savvy Psychologist on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more psychology tips. Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SavvyPsychologist More from Dr. Ho on her other channels: Dr. Ho's website, Substack, LinkedIn. Savvy Psychologist is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips. Find a transcript at QuickandDirtyTips.com.

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The love that controls you: Understanding coercive control

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This episode is 24 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 22, 2026.

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