Is It Coercive Control? A Research-Informed Relationship Assessment That Screens for Coercive Control
Sometimes the most harmful patterns in a relationship are the hardest to see, especially when you’re living inside them. This assessment draws on decades of research to help you reflect on what you’re experiencing, including the subtle, covert forms of coercive control that are so often overlooked. This confidential self‑assessment is designed to help you recognize patterns of coercive control and narcissistic abuse in your relationship. It isn’t a diagnostic tool, but it can give you language, clarity, and support so you can make safer, more informed choices.
Who Can Use This Assessment?
• Individuals who feel confused or unsettled in their relationship People who sense “something is off” but can’t quite name it, who feel anxious, guilty, or small around their partner, or who want clarity on whether what they’re experiencing is healthy.
• People recovering from a past relationship Anyone wondering, “Was that actually okay?” who wants language and perspective on patterns that still affect their sense of self, trust, or safety.
• Counsellors and therapists Clinicians who want a structured way to explore control, fear, and safety dynamics with clients, or who need help assessing whether individual or couples counselling is appropriate.
• Couples’ therapists / marriage counsellors: Practitioners who want a screening tool to identify potential coercive control before (or alongside) couples work, so they can decide whether joint sessions are safe and ethical.
• Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals: Frontline providers who suspect something is wrong at home and want a gentle, trauma-informed resource they can offer patients for private reflection.
• Social workers, community advocates, and support workers: Professionals in community agencies, shelters, faith communities, or social services who need a practical, evidence-informed tool to support conversations about relationship safety and power.
• Friends and family members: who are worried about someone People who see red flags but don’t know how to bring it up, and want something concrete they can gently offer to a loved one who might not yet recognize what is happening.
• Students and trainees in counselling, psychology, or social work: Learners who want to deepen their understanding of coercive control by seeing how patterns show up in real relationship scenarios.
60 questions · 8 categories · approximately 12 minutes