ABSTRACT

Alana is a bright, professional, educated woman who has a successful career that allows her to make the most of her many talents and interests. She is currently married to a man she describes as “lovely” and “in no way abusive at all.” However, several years before we met Alana as a participant in our research, she faced horrific abuse at the hands of an ex-boyfriend. Her story is both unique-as every survivor of past abuse has a unique story to tell-and all too common, as it reflects many of the typical dynamics that are involved in abusive intimate relationships.