The Cycle of Sexual Coercion

Sexual coercion is one of the most misunderstood and silenced forms of abuse. It’s not seduction. It’s not miscommunication. It’s pressure, guilt, manipulation, and punishment used to get sex when you’ve already said no, shown hesitation, or felt unsafe. It’s not about intimacy—it’s about power and control.

This is a bonus episode from Unhooked—my private podcast series for survivors breaking free from emotional abuse.

In this episode, I break down how sexual coercion works, the subtle (and not‑so‑subtle) ways it shows up, and how it maps directly into the cycle of abuse. You’ll learn:

• What sexual coercion actually is—and what it isn’t
• Examples of how it sounds and why survivors often can’t name it in the moment
• How coercion weaves through the tension‑building, incident, reconciliation, and calm stages of the abuse cycle
• The emotional and body‑based trauma responses it creates, including dissociation and loss of sexual agency
• Why “yes” isn’t real consent if it’s given out of fear, exhaustion, guilt, or to avoid conflict

If you’ve experienced this but never had the words for it, this episode will help you see it, name it, and understand that it is abuse.

This bonus episode is part of Unhooked: Mapping the Cycle of Abuse—a private podcast where we break down each phase of the abuse cycle, explore trauma bonding in depth, and help you reclaim your clarity, your nervous system, and your sense of self.