Building Safer Systems: Training Justice and Legal Professionals to Recognize Coercive Control

Across Canada, professionals in law, justice, and social service systems are facing a growing challenge - working with families where the primary harm is psychological and relational, not physical.

Traditional training often focuses on incidents, evidence, and visible injury. But in coercive control cases, the danger lies in patterns - patterns of domination, isolation, and fear that leave no clear timeline yet dictate every decision the survivor makes.

Recognizing and responding to this harm requires a different lens - one that prioritizes safety, credibility, and lived experience over neutrality or compromise.

A Trauma‑Informed, Survivor‑Focused Approach

The professional training I provide helps lawyers, mediators, social workers, and court staff recognize coercive control through behavioral patterns rather than surface conflict.

It draws on:

• Graduate‑level research in the psychology of coercive control

• Direct practice supporting victim‑survivors and lawyers in live cases

• Experience writing expert reports and delivering education within family law and justice systems

This work bridges the gap between academic understanding and frontline reality - helping professionals see what survivors need, not just what systems expect.

What the Training Covers

Participants learn to:

• Identify coercive control across separation and parenting arrangements

• Distinguish conflict from abuse in family law contexts

• Present patterned behavior clearly and credibly for court or case documentation

• Support client regulation and emotional safety during proceedings

• Understand the developmental impact of coercive environments on children

• Reduce system‑driven harm, such as mislabeling survivors as uncooperative

Research‑Informed Practice

My graduate research explored two key gaps:

1. The disconnect between what victim‑survivors expect when they seek legal help and what they actually experience.

2. The limitations family lawyers face when they recognize coercive control but are constrained by existing legal frameworks.

These findings now inform practical strategies that help:

• Strengthen safety‑focused advocacy

• Improve documentation and case framing

• Encourage multidisciplinary collaboration

• Align professional interventions with real client needs

Alberta Justice Training Initiative

In partnership with Alberta Justice, I developed and delivered a province‑wide training program on coercive control.

Over 160 professionals participated, including:

• Family Violence Court Liaisons

• Family Court Counsellors and Mediators

• Family Lawyers and Social Workers

• Civil Mediators and Court Support Staff

This initiative reflects Alberta Justice’s recognition that safety‑centered practice is essential from the very first point of system contact. The creation of the Family Violence Court Liaison role signals a significant cultural shift - one that prioritizes trauma‑informed understanding in every courtroom and office.

Continuing Legal Education and Firm Training

The demand for this education continues to grow.

I have delivered sessions for the Lawyers’ Education Society of Alberta (LESA) and facilitated in‑house Lunch and Learn sessions for private family law firms.

Feedback from participants consistently highlights how transformative this knowledge can be:

“When I go back to work tomorrow, I’m going to do things very differently.”

“You helped me understand what survivors actually experience. I’ll approach clients with a new level of care.”

“We need this training across our entire firm.”

These reflections illustrate a growing awareness that understanding coercive control isn’t specialized knowledge anymore - it’s core professional competency.

Training Formats and Topics

Training can be tailored to meet the needs of any agency, firm, or multidisciplinary team. Options include:

• Full‑day in‑person workshops

• Half‑day or two‑part virtual sessions

• Keynote or conference presentations

• Customized series for firm or department training

Common modules include:

• Recognizing coercive control in separation and co‑parenting

• Documenting patterned behavior without bias

• Supporting client credibility under stress

• Preventing secondary harm in legal and social processes

A System in Transition

Professionals across justice and family service sectors are beginning to shift from incident‑based responses to pattern‑based understanding.

This evolution is essential. It ensures that when survivors reach out for help, they are met with recognition instead of doubt, and safety instead of compromise.

If your agency, organization, or firm is exploring ways to strengthen its response to coercive control, training is available in multiple formats. Each session is customized to fit your team’s structure, needs, and the realities of your daily work.

Together, we can build systems that see clearly, respond wisely, and protect effectively.