Empowering Your Journey to Recovery

Find Strength and Healing with Compassionate Support

Discover a safe space where understanding meets expertise, guiding you towards a healthier relationship with food and yourself.

Meet Becky Stone

I’m Becky Stone,  a dedicated eating disorder therapist and counsellor based in the UK.

I work with both adults and teens who are navigating eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and body image struggles.

My approach is trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and grounded in real, human connection, not clinical checklists.

I understand how complex recovery can feel because real healing isn’t neat, linear, or perfect. It’s messy, emotional, and human.

Through my practice, Counsellor Who Cares, I offer a safe space where clients can explore their relationship with food, rebuild trust in themselves, and create lasting change, at a pace that feels right for them.

I often work with individuals who are neurodivergent (including ADHD and autism), and I use practical tools like the Recovery Record app to create personalised recovery plans that feel achievable, not overwhelming.

At the heart of everything I do is compassion, safety, and a belief that recovery is possible,  not through shame, but through understanding, empowerment, and connection.

If you’re looking for a therapist who will meet you where you are, with honesty, warmth, and no judgment, you’re in the right place.

Creating a Safe Space

Emotional Abuse: The Invisible Wounds We Carry

We often imagine abuse as loud and obvious. But emotional abuse is quieter.

It’s the slow drip of criticism.

It’s the silence that leaves you guessing what you’ve done wrong.

It’s the apology wrapped in a “but you made me do it.”

It’s the way you start feeling like you’re the problem, even when you know you’re not deep down.

The Role of Compassion in Healing

Emotional Abuse: The Invisible Wounds We Carry

You don’t always realise it’s happening at first.

There’s no obvious shouting.

No slammed doors.

No bruises to show the world.

But somewhere along the line, you start feeling smaller.

Quieter.

Less sure of yourself.

And you wonder: Is it me? Am I just too sensitive?

That’s the power of emotional abuse.

It’s invisible to the outside world, but it leaves deep marks inside the people who live through it.

Emotional Control: The Quiet Power Behind Emotional Abuse

 

It’s about power.

And it often hides behind words like “love,” “help,” and “concern.”

It can show up as:

  • Constant criticism or correction

  • Blaming you for their moods or mistakes

  • Gaslighting (“That never happened.” or “You’re imagining things.”)

  • Guilt-tripping when you set healthy boundaries

  • Silent treatment to punish or control

  • Withholding affection when you don’t do what they want

Over time, you find yourself second-guessing everything.

What do you say?

How you act.

Even what you believe.

Understanding Neurodivergence

Why It’s So Hard to Spot

One of the hardest things about emotional abuse is that it doesn’t always look like abuse.

It often looks like:

  • “I’m just trying to help.”

  • “You’re too sensitive.”

  • “I only say these things because I care.”

 

And it’s even harder when the person you love, a parent, a partner, a friend, is doing it.

Because love is supposed to be safe, right?

You end up doubting yourself.

You wonder if you’re making a big deal out of nothing.

You stay, because you hope things will get better.

Because you tell yourself that they’re a good person really, and everyone has bad days.

Here’s the truth:

Good people can still hurt others when they don’t take responsibility for their pain.

And love that makes you feel small, scared, or silenced isn’t love at all.

Living through emotional abuse changes you.
 
It doesn’t just hurt in the moment. It reshapes how you see yourself and the world around you.
 
You might find yourself:
•Doubting your instincts: You question whether your feelings are valid.
•Apologising constantly: Even for things that aren’t your fault.
•Feeling guilty for having needs: You put yourself last because you fear being “too much.”
•Struggling to trust: Not just others, but yourself.
 
You might even notice that healthy relationships feel uncomfortable at first.
Because when you’re used to walking on eggshells, kindness can feel suspicious.
 
This isn’t because something is wrong with you.
It’s because you’ve been taught, through emotional pain, that you have to earn love, instead of simply being loved.
The Long-Term Impact of Emotional Abuse

Why It’s Never Your Fault

If you take one thing away from reading this, please let it be this:

It’s not your fault. It was never your fault.

Emotional abuse is a choice made by the person hurting you.

It’s not because you weren’t “good enough” or “easy enough” or “lovable enough.”

You didn’t deserve to be manipulated, controlled, belittled, or blamed.

You deserved safety.

You deserved care without conditions.

You still do.

The Subtle Art of Emotional Control: When Love Becomes a Weapon

Healing After Emotional Abuse

Healing isn’t just about getting away from the person who hurt you.

It’s about learning to trust yourself again.

It’s about:

  • Recognising abuse for what it was (without minimising it)

  • Letting go of the lies you were told (that you were too sensitive, too much, not enough)

  • Building a life where your voice matters again

  • Surrounding yourself with people who lift you up, not drag you down

 

Sometimes healing starts with really small things, like:

  • Not apologising for having a different opinion.

  • Saying no without explaining yourself.

  • Noticing when you feel uncomfortable,  and listening to that feeling instead of brushing it aside.

 

Healing isn’t quick. It’s not linear.

Some days you might feel strong. Other days, the past might creep back in.

That’s okay.

Healing isn’t about being perfect.

It’s about coming back to yourself, over and over again.

You Are Allowed to Protect Your Peace

Setting boundaries with emotionally abusive people is hard, especially when guilt or fear tries to pull you back in.

But protecting your peace isn’t cruel.

It’s necessary.

You don’t owe anyone access to you just because they share DNA with you.

You don’t owe anyone unlimited forgiveness at the expense of your mental health.

You are allowed to say:

  • “This isn’t healthy for me.”

  • “I need space.”

  • “I’m not continuing this conversation.”

  • “No.”

And you don’t need to justify those choices to anyone.

 

Emotional Control Is Abuse: Naming What’s Often Minimized

Final Thoughts

Emotional abuse is real.

It matters.

And if you’ve been through it,  even if you’re only realising it now,  you deserve support, compassion, and healing.

You are not broken.

You are not weak.

You are surviving something invisible that many people will never understand unless they’ve lived it too.

You’re not alone.

You never were.

And you are so much stronger than the person who tried to convince you otherwise.

emotional trauma

Supporting someone through an eating disorder can feel overwhelming, lonely, and invisible.

This page offers trauma-informed, honest guidance for families, partners, and carers who want to help, without losing themselves.

You don’t have to walk on eggshells forever.

You can support them while protecting your peace, too.

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Becky Stone working as a trauma-informed eating disorder therapist in her home office

Supportive Guidance

Support for the supporters. Learn how to hold boundaries, offer help, and protect your own wellbeing too.