Many organizations already use IPV screening, risk-assessment or internal response procedures.
B.R.A.V.E.™ is not intended to replace those systems. It provides an interactional framework for considering:
B.R.A.V.E.™ is an intersectional, interactional protocol for what happens during and after a frontline encounter — not a screening instrument.
Recognition of coercive control, barriers to disclosure, trauma presentations, minimization, survivor decision-making and trauma-informed interaction.
Case-based professional training focused on brief-contact pattern recognition, coercive control, documentation, practical questions, survivor presentation, post-separation abuse and interactional response.
for full-day delivery
Customized to professional roles, organizational procedures, existing screening/risk processes, documentation expectations and learning priorities.
A professional may initially encounter:
A single encounter may appear isolated. Understanding patterns over time can provide additional context.
Someone experiencing IPV or coercive control may appear frightened, angry, calm, articulate, confused, defensive, emotionally flat or minimizing. Trauma presentation should not be used as a simple measure of credibility or risk.
Professional response does not end with recognizing a concern. Training can include:
Documentation content is adapted to the professional scope, organizational policies and applicable reporting requirements of the participating team.
I had the opportunity to deliver the B.R.A.V.E.™ Framework for Intimate Partner Violence and Coercive Control workshop, commissioned by Ottawa Victim Services (OVS), with participation from OVS and the Police Victim Support Unit (VSU).
The training explored recognizing intimate partner violence, coercive control, narcissistic abuse dynamics, trauma responses, and the importance of trauma-informed communication during frontline interactions.
Through the B.R.A.V.E.™ Framework — Build Safety, Recognize Control, Anchor Stability, Validate Experience, and Empower Agency — we explored practical questions and approaches that can support professionals in recognizing patterns of abuse and responding with greater awareness and sensitivity.
My hope is that even one question, one observation, or one shift in how we engage with a survivor can help identify a potential safety concern and guide someone toward appropriate support.
Grateful for the opportunity to contribute to ongoing professional development and for the thoughtful reflections shared throughout this experience.
The B.R.A.V.E.™ Framework for IPV & Coercive Control © 2026 Raquel Soteldo, RP
#BRAVEFramework #CoerciveControl #IntimatePartnerViolence #TraumaInformedPractice #VictimServices #ProfessionalDevelopment #NarcissisticAbuseAwareness #RaquelSoteldo
B.R.A.V.E.™ for Police & Law Enforcement — applied training that works within your service’s existing IPV, investigative and risk-assessment procedures.
Cross-system context
A connected view helps professionals recognize that separate encounters may relate to one continuing pattern.
Each professional may see one piece. The survivor may be experiencing one continuing pattern.
In October 2026, B.R.A.V.E.™ was delivered in Ottawa as an applied IPV and coercive-control workshop involving frontline victim-service professionals. The session included coercive-control pattern recognition, survivor presentation, case analysis, documentation, post-separation dynamics and practical frontline response.
Results are based on 18 participant evaluation forms from the October 2, 2026 workshop and are reported in aggregate. Percentages are rounded. They reflect respondents’ self-reported experiences, not organizational endorsement or independently measured practice outcomes. Item-specific denominators are shown where an answer was unclear or missing.
See full workshop outcomes →Physicians • Nurses • Paramedics • Allied health
Psychotherapists • Psychologists • Social workers
Lawyers • Mediators • Family-law professionals
Shelters • Settlement organizations • Community agencies
Departments • Municipal organizations • Public agencies
Raquel Soteldo is a Registered Psychotherapist whose clinical and professional education work focuses on intimate partner violence, coercive control, narcissistic-abuse dynamics, post-separation abuse and complex relational trauma.
She provides professional education and consultation to frontline and interdisciplinary organizations and is the developer of the B.R.A.V.E.™ Framework for IPV and Coercive Control.
Learn more about RaquelTell us about your team and learning priorities. We’ll use this information to identify the most appropriate training option.
