As therapists, we find that survivors of domestic abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, parental abuse and neglect steadfastly refuse to recognise that they have been emotionally manipulated. The lasting effect of deceptive techniques is such that victims consider themselves complicit with the abuser and in many cases go so far as to blame themselves for the abuse.

This intellectually stimulating and practical one-day course designed for psychotherapists, counsellors, social & care workers and child protection service professionals – aims to evaluate deception as a systematic strategy used by abusers, specifically looking at:

• Gaslighting: we will particularly evaluate gaslighting, which is commonly used in domestic abuse and abusive relationships, in which truth is concealed by distorting reality. The abuser relies on denying behaviour, deflection and victim blaming – shifting the role of perpetrator on to the victim using lies and deception
• Grooming: we will consider how abusers, create layers of deceit to build rapport and connection. The process is focused on the development of an emotional connection with an objective to manipulate, exploit and abuse
• Overt lying & omission: in which abusers deliberately provide false answers to direct questions; and the nature of lies of omission wherein information is withheld with a view to mislead, by avoiding certain topics, telling half-truths or distorting information

By understanding this spectrum of deceptive practices, practitioners will be better equipped in identifying how abusers distort reality, why victims may often fail to recognise these behavioural patterns and how we can help survivors reclaim their lives. We will discuss how practitioners can assist their clients to challenge negative core beliefs about themselves, that have been imposed by the abuser and come to terms with the truth about what happened to them, instead of carrying the blame of the abuse on their shoulders.

Specifically, we will look at:

• Understanding the nature and dynamics of deception, with specific emphasis on gaslighting, grooming & overt lying
• Exploring the strategies and tactics used in deception such as directed charm, love bombing, unsolicited niceness, being overly solicitous and the role of reciprocity
• Building awareness of the impact of deception on survivors and clients and how it manifests in the therapeutic setting through traumatic re-enactments and as survival strategies
• Understanding the impact of deception on survivors: distortion of reality and a changed perception of self
• Enabling clients to reclaim their reality
• How as professionals we can protect clients and ourselves from being deceived
• Examining our own susceptibility to deception and how we can manage that

© nscience 2022 / 23