Authors To Speak At Domestic Violence Awareness Event In Westport

Information from the Westport Domestic Violence Task Force and Rock the Walls:

WESTPORT, CT — Do not miss this event designed to educate all women - and men - as part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month! Co-authors Dr. Christine M. Cocchiola, a therapist and world-renowned expert on coercive control, and divorce coach and journalist Amy Polacko will discuss their new book “FRAMED: Women in the Family Court Underworld.” The event will take place on Tuesday, October 8 at 7pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 10 Lyons Plains Road in Westport.

Cocchiola and Polacko wrote “FRAMED” as an expose of how domestic abuse victims are treated in our legal system. It includes 22 stories from women around the world. The book became a bestseller on Amazon a few days after it was available for pre-order in July. Its official release date is October 1, to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. You can learn more about FRAMED here: www.narcfreepress.com

The authors are passionate about educating people about the “playbook” abusers use during courtship, marriage, and divorce. Their talk will focus on red flags to look for in relationships, what is coercive control, the crisis in our family courts and how to protect yourself. They will also be signing copies of FRAMED.

The event is sponsored by the Westport Domestic Violence Task Force and Rock the Walls, an organization dedicated to building a resource hub for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. One of the task force’s core members, Wendy Levy PsyD, will also be speaking on the panel. She is a forensic psychologist and courtroom expert witness who performs evaluations related to domestic violence and sexual assault cases. She also trains court staff on the dynamics of intimate partner violence.

About the Authors
Dr. Christine Marie Cocchiola has been a social justice advocate since the age of 19 supporting victims of abuse. Her doctoral degree research at New York University, under the tutelage of Dr. Evan Stark, focused on adult and child victims of coercive control. A licensed clinical social worker and a published author, she is a survivor and protective parent. Learn more about Dr. C’s work here: http://www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com

Amy Polacko is a divorce coach, advocate for women, and award-winning journalist writing about divorce, domestic abuse, coercive control, and family court. Her work has appeared in HuffPost, Ms., Newsweek, The Independent, and The Washington Post. She earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and is a survivor and protective parent. Learn more about Amy and her work here: www.freedomwarrior.info

— Flyer from the Westport Domestic Violence Task Force and Rock the Walls