Ep 8: Understanding Coercive Control
With Michelle Minnikin
In Episode 8 of the Good Girl Deprogramming podcast, Michelle is flying solo, exploring the pervasive impact of coercive control on women’s lives and how it shapes societal conditioning. Drawing on Albert Biderman’s Chart of Coercion, originally developed to understand prisoner-of-war dynamics, Michelle reveals how these same manipulative tactics—such as isolation, guilt, and fear—are used to influence women’s behaviour, self-worth, and identities.
Michelle revisits themes from past episodes, including gender roles, good girl conditioning, and the effects of misogyny, connecting them to coercive control’s subtle yet powerful grip. She explains how tactics like social isolation, exhaustion, and fear of exclusion keep women compliant in both personal and professional spaces.
This episode is packed with actionable insights, including reflection exercises to recognise coercion in your own life and practical steps to reclaim your autonomy. Michelle’s message is clear: it’s time to challenge these patterns, set boundaries, and step into your full, authentic self.
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