Ep. 48 What Coercive Control Looks Like and How Survivors Can Take Their Power Back

Show Notes:

Host Angie Berrett sits down with Laura Bonetzky-Gaffney, a multi-generational healer, intuitive, and survivor whose story sheds light on the intersection of trauma, justice, and resilience.

Laura opens up about her journey through domestic violence, court-sanctioned abuse, and a decades-long fight to reclaim her freedom after enduring corruption within the family court system. From being silenced in marriage to finding her voice as an advocate and author, Laura shares what it means to transform pain into purpose — and how the power of awareness, mindfulness, and community can be pathways to healing.

Together, Angie and Laura unpack the concept of “power protecting power,” the complexity of coping mechanisms, and the process of learning to trust your body and spirit again.

Laura also introduces a practical, trauma-informed tool — the “Stop, Pause, Breathe, What’s the Action Step” framework — to help survivors ground themselves in moments of overwhelm and reconnect to their inner wisdom.

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t happen in a straight line — and that sometimes, the smallest steps toward awareness are the most transformative.

Bio:

Laura Bonetzky-Gaffney is a multigenerational healer, intuitive, author, and sacred activist devoted to helping others reclaim their power and heal at the deepest level. A Jikiden Reiki Teacher, trauma educator, psychic medium, and host of Triggers and Spiritual Medicine, Laura weaves ancestral wisdom, spirituality, and somatic healing into her work through Healing With Spirit and Healing Trauma Through Spirit.

For nearly five decades, she’s walked a sacred path of healing, breaking cycles of abuse, and remembering the medicine of the wise women before us. Her approach is multidimensional—rooted in authenticity, spirit, and a deep respect for each person’s unique rhythm of healing.

A survivor of domestic violence and court-sanctioned abuse, Laura now channels her experience into advocacy and education as a member of the TRAC Coalition in Massachusetts. She continues to guide others through transformational journeys, including a 6-month sacred pilgrimage to Ireland in 2026.

Newly remarried, proud grandmother, and lifelong student of herbal and plant medicine, Laura embodies her belief that true healing isn’t a quick fix—it’s a lifelong devotion to walking in alignment with Spirit and the wisdom of the ancestors.

To connect with our guest, click on the links below:

http://www.laurahealingwithspirit.com

https://linktr.ee/HealingWithSpirit

Connect with me:

Website:  https://angieberrettmovement.com/

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