What happens when the person who should protect you becomes your greatest threat?

How do you survive coercive control, domestic abuse, and suicide loss? Counselor Patricia Gordon Stevens reveals how to reclaim your life.

 On Aging with Purpose and Passion, host Beverley Glazer MA, CCC, sits down with counselor and author Patricia Gordon Stevens to trace a harrowing path from a high-control Marriage to a life of service and resilience.

Patricia opens up about the chilling reality of coercive control—from being marched out of a university class by a partner to the calculated bravery required to leave when control turns dangerous. Her story takes an even deeper turn as she discusses the back-to-back deaths of her sister and her son to suicide, exploring how the world responds to “stigmatized” Grief.

Inside the Episode:

• Identifying Coercive Control: The red flags of domestic abuse that go beyond physical violence.
• Safety Planning: Why the most dangerous moment is the decision to leave—and how to do it safely.
• Grief Without Stigma: Navigating the specific isolation and “silence” of suicide loss.
• The Power of Study: How returning to psychology in midlife restored Patricia’s identity and income.
• Madness in Memphis: Using storytelling and fiction to expose the truth about domestic violence.

For similar episodes on reinvention in later life check out  #104 and 154 of Aging with Purpose and Passion

Resources: 

If you’re over 50 and Love to Travel, The Ageless Traveler is your #1 resource for life long travel. Discover exciting places, luxury travel for less, grandparent and solo travel, culture and culinary experiences, and meet the people who make travel easy.  https://agelesstraveler.com

Patricia Gordon Stevens – Author & Owner, Maxwell House Counselling

📧 [email protected]
🌐 https://www.maxhouse.com.au
🌐 https://www.patriciagordonstevens.com
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💼 LinkedIn: Patricia Gordon Stevens Author | Maxwell House Counselling

Beverley Glazer, MA – Reinvention Strategist & Host

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Beverley Glazer Reinvention Expert, Podcaster

You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to be who you’ve always imagined! Beverley Glazer MA., CCC., ICCAC, is a Psychotherapist, Internationally Certified Addiction Specialist, Coach and Founder of Reinvent Impossible Inc; a personal development company that educates, coaches, and empowers adults 50+ who’ve experienced life transitions, that left them feeling powerless, to bounce back with resilience and create new possibilities built on their strengths.