Episode 53

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Published on:

21st Jul 2026

From Coercive Control to Freedom: Rebuilding Your Life After Emotional Abuse by Christine Dillard

Have you ever found yourself making excuses for someone's behaviour? Telling yourself they were just stressed, they didn't mean it, or maybe you're simply being too sensitive? Little by little, you stop trusting your own instincts until you can't tell the difference between a bad relationship and emotional abuse.

The hardest part about coercive control isn't always leaving. It's recognising you're living through it in the first place. Because when there are no bruises, no dramatic fights, and no obvious signs, it's easy to dismiss each incident instead of seeing the pattern that's stealing your confidence, identity, and life.

After surviving 17 years of coercive control, gaslighting, and psychological abuse, Christine Dillard is helping others put words to experiences they've spent years questioning. In this episode, you'll discover why so many people struggle to recognise coercive control, how your body often knows something is wrong before your mind does, and what it really takes to reclaim your identity after emotional abuse.

IN THIS EPISODE

  • Welcome Christine Dillard! Her story and how she came to do the work she does in the world.
  • Why so many intelligent, successful, independent people don't realise they're being abused until years later
  • The hidden pattern of coercive control - and why looking at individual incidents makes it almost impossible to recognise
  • How gaslighting slowly teaches you to distrust your own memories, instincts, and reality
  • Why emotional abuse often stays hidden from family and friends - even in relationships that look perfect from the outside
  • The invisible impact coercive control has on children - even when you think you're protecting them
  • The biggest myths about who becomes a victim of abuse - and why career success, education, or confidence don't protect you
  • Why you don't have to remember or relive every traumatic experience in order to heal
  • How your body often recognises danger long before your conscious mind does
  • The physical signs of coercive control most people dismiss
  • What it really took to rebuild her identity after years of living for someone else's needs
  • The long-term planning behind Christine's decision to leave - and why every survivor's timeline looks different
  • Christine's #1 way to start unleashing your freedom today

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About the Podcast

Unleash Your Freedom: Mindset Strategies For High Achievers
Unleash Your Freedom gives trailblazers, rebels, dreamers and creators who are done playing small the mindset, strategies, and insights that will set you free.
Unleash Your Freedom delivers mindset strategies for high achievers who want to create success in every area of their life without sacrificing their freedom.

If you’re looking for a personal development podcast from two leadership coaches who believe you shouldn’t have to choose between being wildly ambitious and having a life you actually love, you’re in the right place.

This podcast is for entrepreneurs, founders, business owners, executives, leaders, and ambitious professionals who want more from both their success and their life.

If you want to grow your business or career, develop a success mindset, and master emotional intelligence, so you can achieve more, have better relationships, and thrive in your health, you’re in the right place.

This show provides answers to questions like:

- How do I create more freedom in my life?
- How can I achieve more without burning out?
- How do I achieve my goals and still enjoy my life?
- How do I create success in every area of my life?
- How can I become a better leader?
- How do I build better relationships?

About your host

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Giorgia & Dawn

We are leadership coaches who met on our journey to becoming free while coaching together. Now we're coaching high-achieving people into breaking through their inner barriers, achieving those goals they once thought impossible, and truly unleashing their freedom.