The Best Support Groups for Survivors of Emotional Abuse

One of the most important things support groups for survivors of emotional abuse do, is offer women a safe place to process what has happened to them in a community of women who understand and can validate their experiences.

If you’re wondering if you’re experiencing emotional abuse, take my free emotional abuse test here.

HOW SUPPORT GROUPS for Emotional Abuse SurvivorS HELP VICTIMS

We hear from so many women who discover BTR but are reluctant to sign up for Group Sessions or take the Clarity After Betrayal Workshop at first. They’ve been taught that the right place to get help is from a therapist or clergy member, so they’re understandably hesitant to trust support that looks different from what they expected.

Then, months or sometimes years later, they come back to BTR and tell us, “This is what I needed first.” With that in mind, here are the three most important things I hear from women who were helped by our Group Sessions.

1. Survivors NEED SUPPORT WHERE THERE ARE NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

You need a support group that’s entirely on your side, and there’s no conflicts of interest.

Women who are emotionally abused are married to men who are really good at lying in manipulation, really good at this good guy image. So if they’re going to couple therapy or getting help from people who know their husband, then he’s able to manipulate them too.

In our community, we don’t have that conflict of interest. Our group sessions provide crucial connection and community with zero victim blaming.

2. BTR Helps Survivors Recognize and Understand Abuse Patterns

In our group sessions, women say they were able to recognize emotional abuse quicker than any other resource.

And in fact, there have even been women who’ve said, “It helped me recognize my husband was NOT abusive quicker than any other resource.” Every day women tell me that they tried therapy for years and all the advice on the internet, and it never gave them the clarity that they found in our group sessions.

3. HEARING Survivor Stories Offers Validation AND HOPE

 Many of the women who come to BTR say they felt hopeless in this constant cycle of confusion, and then with therapy or other groups, they were given the impression that part of it was their fault.

As they take that advice from these other types of groups, things seemed to get better for a little while, but then they realized that it wasn’t, and sometimes it was even a lot worse.

So hearing stories of women who have been through this exact same cycle, women are like, “Oh, it wasn’t me. I was getting the wrong information.” And then when they hear the tools that we have to offer that are completely different than anything they’ve ever heard before, they start making progress for the first time.

TranscripT: STORIES FROM SUPPORT GROUPS for SURVIVORS OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Anne: Today’s episode is a montage of stories from emotional abuse survivors.

I’m super humbled as I’ve listen to these stories.

I honor all the women searching for answers. Who are genuinely trying to save their families. Not knowing what to do and getting harmful information from therapists, internet articles or clergy. Including resources that haven’t helped them understand the abuse.

I want to thank everyone for listening. Above all I hope that BTR is helpful. The thought of any woman being in an abusive situation and not understanding what it is, is heartbreaking to me. Also, a thank you to all of you who have shared our material on social media or shared it with friends. In an effort to educate more women. So with that, here are their stories.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #1

I have been in therapy for 12 years. Only now have I felt that I have the expert care and clarity that I have been searching for. You and this whole group are what I call, proactive. Where before it was just wishy washy, hit or miss, psycho-babble type of therapy. This group is exactly what women need, to recover from betrayal trauma, and I cannot thank you enough.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #2

This group is new to me. I have been in not a good place for about three years. This is the first time that I have had other people share their stories. Where I felt so validated. I could totally relate. This isn’t just me. I’m not going crazy. I can stand my ground and create boundaries to keep myself safe. To keep my kids safe. I have multiple daily options to check in, check out, share, not share, listen. The isolation that I felt before is starting to dissipate.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #3

I arrived at BTR in full blown trauma. Never having known what he was doing for years, and prior to we were married. Thank God that this is the place that I found. Because there was love and nurturing and education. All of the coaches are friends to walk with me and support me and I will forever be grateful.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #4

I had been in therapy for a while, years, and at least a year with Chuck before I found Betrayal Trauma Recovery. There were no breakthroughs or anything. It was just the same cycle. Now that I know what it is, it was the same cycle of abuse. Happening over and over and over again with no real solution.

When I found BTR, I I honestly was trying to find reasons in my head as to why the group wouldn’t be good for me. Because I knew it was gonna change everything about my life. It did because I joined the group right before I initially separated from Chuck. So having BTR during that time of separation got me through. And then helped me make the decision to separate permanently and just not want to be with him anymore.

I wouldn’t be here and be growing the way that I am without BTR.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #5

Betrayal Trauma Support Group has been very important for me through this journey. I can just very succinctly say that it has saved my life. Chiefly I would say just simply that. Without BTR I wouldn’t be here.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #6

For years we’d have fights. I would go to the internet to find out how I could be better. So that we could stop having fights, I would always search.

And article after article was never right. I just knew. And finally one day I stumbled upon the BTR podcast and I don’t really like listening to them. I like to read them so I’m thankful for the transcript. I finally knew that what I was reading was right. When I had a name for what was going on in my marriage. I could finally start to work to fix it and fixing it has meant not what I thought it would. It has saved my life too.

So without BTR, I wouldn’t have a name for what I experienced and I wouldn’t have the healing.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #7

I didn’t ever think that I would be In the position that I’m in, I was with my ex fiance from the age of 13 for 20 years. He was living a double life. I found BTR when I was staying in hotels.

I had nowhere else to go and I booked a one on one with a coach. And I haven’t looked back. I have learned so much every single day that I hop on group. I see women that I am inspired by and women who are ahead of me in the journey. Women who are following me on the journey. We’re all on different journeys, but somehow the connection that we have and the love that we share is really real.

So thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done without BTR for the last 12 months.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #8

I found BTR to be really helpful. In fact Betrayal Trauma Group Sessions are really helpful at connecting with other people going through this. Not feeling alone. Recognizing that there are lots of actually super capable, strong, determined, people experiencing abuse at different stages along the way.

I found the Group Sessions to be really helpful. Also he podcast is really nice just to listen to and understand broader patterns and trends. I wish people didn’t have to find this on their own, I’m really glad BTR exists.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #9

Discovery was in 2011, of addiction. There’s just no support out there for women, other than the groups that are available in that realm.

And my therapist of many years never mentioned the word abuse. I felt like I was duped, I started attending BTR Group Sessions. I learned so much from the coaches, I was terrified with a learning disability. And think I could never do this. I could never, ever, ever be free from a covert narcissist.

As I’m going through all this, the post separation abuse was just heinous. And since then, with the help of BTR through this process and as I am safe. In my new place, I’m now starting to process it even more. Because I had been so busy going through all the process of divorce and everything else.

And due to all the coaches and the love and support. They have allowed me to have such great strength. I’m realizing I am worth it. I am enough. BTR is a lifesaver and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You helped save my life and I am now free and I am now safe.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #10

I feel like attending BTR.ORG Group Sessions helped me create some routine in my life. Additionally something I can do every single day.

It has just created some routine and structure and support in a life that I currently have. Which is very chaotic and unpredictable and challenging. And I genuinely feel like I like meeting with all the coaches because they have different perspectives. Each coach, has a different vibe.

That’s really helpful. That’s been great. I’ve only been doing this a couple months, but I’m really happy. I don’t think I’m going to stop anytime soon. It’s a really beautiful community of women who’ve been doing it for a long time. It’s really cool to see those connections and to be building them.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #11

I’ve been through this for over 30 years of dealing with this in my life. Always asking, “How do I know if it’s abuse?”I’ve been in BTR for five months. My life has changed more in the last five months than all of those years that I went through. I so appreciate all of the coaches just the clarity has helped me through a lot of individual sessions, group sessions.

I really appreciate that everyone has something different. Similarly all the shares help you understand other ways to do self care and stay safe. I really appreciate BTR. I can’t say enough about it. It’s changed my life.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #12

Betrayal Trauma Recovery was literally an answer to prayer for me. After disclosure, I really didn’t know what to think about my situation.

After almost 30 years being with my husband, I felt like I was brainwashed. Also I didn’t know what to do. I prayed and I did a Google search and I found the podcast and it literally changed my life.

After a year, I feel so much more empowered and connected and validated. I have so much clarity on the trauma that I had been going through. Everything just started to make sense.

I’m a completely different person than I was a year ago. I just love this group.

Emotional Abuse Survivor Story #13

BTR Group Sessions and Individual Sessions. They have all been an amazing space for me to be able to find safety, encouragement, and support. BTR has helped me and continues to help me as I’m still in this process. To be reminded that I’m not crazy and that I can watch for the signs. I can check in with myself and check in with my body, I know the symptoms of betrayal trauma.

I’m grateful to have this community. It’s been really important to help me be able to recover. And I look forward to recovering more.

Emotional abuse Survivor Story #14

Well, I found BTR.ORG through Instagram. Anne would post reels and I realized they were about me. They helped me so much. So I started attending BTR Group Sessions. It was like finally having the place where everything in my life that didn’t make sense made sense. Because there could be words put to it. I wasn’t alone and to be able to literally put the voices from group in my, in my ears. And be able to hear that as things are happening in my life.

It’s just been life changing. It’s been a great support.

Setting Boundaries When You Are An Emotional Abuse Survivor

Anne created The BTR.ORG Workshop for emotional abuse survivors to understand and implement boundaries, check it out today.

Bonus Story

I hadn’t found any groups that I felt comfortable going to, just having such a hard time finding a counselor, I felt like they were listening, but maybe didn’t really get it. And I have friends and family that know that I’m separated and they know that I’m hurting, but still, again, they don’t know the details or maybe how to listen with understanding.

And I just want to do my best to help other ladies find BTR , more quickly than I did.

Being around all these women, at BTR even if they hadn’t experienced the same thing, they knew how to react appropriately and the right things to say. It felt so good just to be able to talk and not worry about filtering what I was saying or trying to remember what I had already told them, or is this person safe or not?

Or when am I going to run into them at the grocery store? Or do they know my husband? I was able to share my story and not feel judged. It was a really great