ABSTRACT
Beatrice was a professional woman who worked in social services. When we interviewed her, she had been out of her abusive relationship for about a decade. She described her abusive relationship as a rebound relationship that she entered into quickly. Before she began dating her abuser, her 20-year marriage had ended in a dysfunctional and hurtful way. One of the first things that Beatrice noted about her past abuser was that “we weren’t a good fit” professionally, as she had a graduate degree, and he saw work as a “job” rather than a profession or career. When we asked how long they were together, Beatrice said it was on and off for about five years.
