CARE is created by survivors — people who know firsthand how hard it is to find your way through something you cannot quite name.
When we went looking for answers, we found information that did not reflect our experience. The examples were overt, dramatic, easy to identify. What we had lived through was quieter than that — and far more persistent. It was not one incident. It was a pattern. A slow, relentless accumulation of behaviours that, taken one at a time, were easy to dismiss, but together had hollowed out our sense of self and reality.
When we tried to explain it to others, we hit the same wall. Not because people did not care, but because they did not have the language either. A single example, out of context, sounds like nothing. It is the consistency — the way it never stops, the way it compounds — that makes coercive control what it is. And that is exactly what gets lost in the telling.
It was only when we discovered the more covert, hidden forms of coercive control that we finally started to see it clearly. The self-doubt began to lift. The patterns became visible. And we understood that just because something leaves no marks does not mean it did not cause real harm.
We built CARE because that moment of recognition should not be as hard to reach as it was for us. If something brought you here, even if you cannot yet explain why — you are in the right place.
About Us
Why CARE Exists
Coercive control is one of the most misunderstood forms of abuse — not because it is rare, but because it is designed to be invisible. It does not always look like violence. It can look like love, protection, jealousy, or concern. It can feel confusing, even to the person experiencing it.
CARE — Coercive Abuse Response & Education — exists to change that. We provide clear, accessible education for people who are trying to make sense of what they have experienced or witnessed, with a particular focus on the more covert, hidden forms of coercive control that are so often missed or minimized.
Whether you are here for yourself, for someone you care about, or because you work with people who have been affected, CARE offers resources grounded in current research and designed to be genuinely useful — not overwhelming, not clinical, and not out of reach.
Understanding what happened is not a small thing. It is often where everything begins to shift.
Have Questions? Let’s Talk
Send us a quick note and let’s figure things out together—we’re excited to help you reach your learning goals.