Conversations That Go Beyond Awareness.
Explore survivor-centered education, practical guidance, workplace domestic violence conversations, coercive control, life after abuse, family support, and the questions people are often afraid to ask.
Better conversations begin when we stop reducing domestic violence to simple answers.
Domestic violence involves far more than physical violence alone. It can include coercive control, isolation, financial abuse, threats, manipulation, stalking, sexual coercion, workplace interference, and the gradual erosion of a person's autonomy.
The Compass Forward blog creates space to talk about those realities, the experiences of survivors, and the ways families, workplaces, organizations, and communities can respond more effectively.
Domestic violence has more than one chapter.
Blog conversations will explore the experience of abuse, the process of leaving, what happens afterward, and the systems and people surrounding survivors.
Understanding Abuse
Domestic violence patterns, warning signs, coercive control, manipulation, isolation, financial abuse, and the behaviors that may be difficult to recognize from inside the relationship.
Why Leaving Is Complicated
The emotional, financial, logistical, safety, family, legal, and psychological barriers that can shape a survivor's decisions.
Life After Abuse
Rebuilding identity, finances, relationships, confidence, boundaries, trust, routines, and autonomy after survival mode.
Family & Friends
How to support someone experiencing abuse without blaming, pressuring, controlling, or closing the door when they need you.
Domestic Violence at Work
Workplace impact, employee support, manager response, leadership, HR considerations, safety, resources, and organizational education.
Autonomy & Coercive Control
Understanding how control affects decision-making and why restoring autonomy matters during support, recovery, and rebuilding.
Read the newest conversations and resources.
New articles will continue to be added as Compass Forward expands its survivor education, workplace resources, coaching, courses, and community conversations.
Your Latest Blog Posts Appear Below
Continue down the page to read the newest Compass Forward articles from the Squarespace blog.
Awareness is a beginning, not the finish line.
People may know domestic violence exists and still misunderstand how it works, what survivors experience, why leaving can be dangerous, or how to respond when someone discloses abuse.
Compass Forward uses education to help close that gap.
The goal is to help readers:
- Recognize domestic violence beyond stereotypes.
- Understand coercive control and barriers to safety.
- Respond to survivors without judgment.
- Support autonomy instead of taking control.
- Understand the realities of life after abuse.
- Strengthen workplace and community responses.
- Find practical resources and next steps.
These conversations come from both lived experience and real-world work.
Lanita Simmons is a domestic violence educator, consultant, survivor, and founder of Compass Forward. Her work combines lived experience with more than two decades of experience working in refining and construction environments.
Through Compass Forward, she develops survivor-centered education, workplace training, practical resources, coaching, workshops, and conversations designed to help people understand domestic violence more clearly and respond more effectively.
The blog is only one part of Compass Forward.
Survivor Resources
Explore survivor-centered information, coaching, education, resources, and practical next steps.
For SurvivorsResources & Shop
Browse books, workbooks, resource guides, courses, journals, and other educational tools.
Resources & ShopTraining & Workshops
Explore workplace training, community education, leadership sessions, and customized domestic violence programming.
Training & WorkshopsKeep learning. Keep asking better questions.
Explore the blog, share the conversations that matter, browse the resource library, or contact Compass Forward about training, coaching, speaking, consulting, or organizational support.