Unseen, Unspoken:
Understanding Coercive Sex as Emotional Abuse
A professional development talk for social workers, therapists, and advocates
In this eye-opening and deeply validating session, author and narrative therapist Sarah Gallucci draws from her groundbreaking book Laid to illuminate one of the most overlooked dynamics in intimate partner relationships: coercive sex as a form of emotional abuse.
While physical violence is often more easily identified, coercion, manipulation, and consent confusion in sexual relationships—especially in long-term partnerships and marriages—can remain invisible, minimized, or miscategorized. This talk offers professionals the language, insight, and tools to see what often goes unseen.
Participants will learn:
What coercive sex actually looks and feels like in real-world relationships
How cultural norms, gendered expectations, and silence perpetuate emotional harm
The emotional and psychological toll of “consensual” sex that isn’t truly free
Why survivors often don’t recognize or name their experiences as abuse
How to compassionately support clients who feel conflicted, ashamed, or “stuck”
How to ask better questions—and create safer spaces for truth to emerge
This session blends clinical insight with lived experience and narrative practice, making it a powerful resource for professionals who want to better serve survivors, prevent harm, and deepen their understanding of power, agency, and relational trauma.
This is not just a talk about sex. It’s a talk about truth, safety, and the right to say no—even in love.
Contact: SarahGallucciWriter@Gmail.com