Styled with Strength

The very first meeting with a client at Styled with Strength, we typically learn A LOT about the abuser:

We often learn:
•He grew up in an abusive household
•His mom left him at an early age
•He was diagnosed with: (insert every diagnosis that alters a person’s mood, behavior, or lack of self control)
•He is terrified of being abandoned
•He struggles with addiction
•He has PTSD from past deployments or time as a first responder
•His ex-wife/ ex-girlfriend really screwed him up

and this reasoning & rationale for someone’s abusive behavior always leads to one simple question that starts with a 🅨🅔🅢, 🅑🅤🅣:

•🅨🅔🅢, 🅑🅤🅣 have you experienced past traumas in your life up until this point?

(the answer is 100% of the time: yes)

•🅨🅔🅢, 🅑🅤🅣 have you ever utilized any of those past traumas/diagnoses/experiences to justify the reason you’ve ever physically harmed, emotionally manipulated, or controlled another person?

(the answer is 100% of the time: no)

So why are we accommodating any of these reasons why the abuse that you are experiencing as warranted or okay?

They have weaponized valid trauma & experiences as a way to harm you instead of heal & do the work to break the cycle. In order to truly help an abusive person, placing the responsibility to do the work & to understand themselves & their behavior: we have to do one thing:

• Give them the space to do the work: but it most certainly can’t be at the cost of you my sister.

The Styled with Strength team had an incredible time with the BIO Girls - Fargo, ND - Microsoft squad this week!

Together, we crafted our signature friendship bracelets, serving as a beautiful reminder for the women we support who are escaping violence: they are worthy, loved, strong, and always enough!

A heartfelt thank you to the amazing girls, mentors, and leaders at BIO Girls for helping us to create safe spaces for all in our community!