Invisible Abuse

Beautiful Scars: What the Art of Kintsugi Can Teach Us About Healing From Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA)

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
April 20, 2024June 14, 2024
1 Comment

The ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi beautifully illustrates the concept of embracing imperfections and turning brokenness into beauty. Versus feeling self-conscious or a sense of shame or inferiority as related to their intrapsychic wounds and scars, adult survivors of family scapegoating abuse (FSA) may benefit by re-envisioning their healing process from family trauma and abuse as a journey of artful restoration whereby intrapsychic wounds are transformed into imperfect – yet still beautiful – scars.

Scapegoating, Narcissism, and Reactive Abuse

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
July 29, 2023May 24, 2024
3 Comments

Reactive abuse is when someone who is a victim of abuse (family scapegoating abuse, in this case) reacts to the abuse in such a manner that if an outside person were to be a fly on the wall observing, it would make it look like they, and not the perpetrator, are the abuser.

“Why Do I Seem to Get Scapegoated Wherever I Go?

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
November 9, 2022May 24, 2024
7 Comments

New Vlog Release – and announcing a new series on YouTube on my new Beyond Family Scapegoating Abuse Channel, Subscriber Question of the Week: This week’s subscriber question is, “Why do I seem to find myself in the ‘scapegoat’ role wherever I go?”

Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA) Public Service Announcement – Now Available on YouTube

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
October 1, 2022May 24, 2024
1 Comment

I’m sharing a short video clip excerpted and re-worked for my own use from a PSA I was asked to create for a Mental Health organization regarding the effects of family scapegoating abuse on children and adult survivors, as identified via my FSA research. To facilitate sharing, I have started an FSA Education YouTube channel and will be adding videos covering critical topics related to family scapegoating abuse as time allows.

The Fantasy “Repair” Experience of the FSA Adult Survivor

by Rebecca C Mandeville LMFT CCTP
September 10, 2022August 21, 2024
17 Comments

One of the things that keeps survivors of family scapegoating abuse (FSA) stuck and unable to progress in their recovery is the fantasy that if they can say the ‘right’ thing to the ‘right’ person within (or connected to) their family-of-origin, the fact of their abuse will be acknowledged and validated. Tragically, this is unlikely to happen. But this does not change the truth of what happened to you, and your truth deserves to be both told and then heard and validated by people who have the capacity to care.