Complex with Kimberley Wilson What is ‘gaslighting’?
Mar 25, 2026
Jennifer Cox, psychotherapist and author focused on women’s mental health. She traces gaslighting from its theatrical origins to everyday coercive denial. Short takes on how it shows up in work, medicine and family life. Notes who is most affected and how it escalates. Practical pointers about allies, recording incidents and therapy support.
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Everyday Examples From Therapy Sessions
- Jennifer Cox describes daily examples: partners denying events, professional gaslighting at work, and medical gaslighting for women seeking help.
- She emphasises women of colour often need letters of support to be taken seriously by clinicians.
Gaslighting As Coercive Control
- Gaslighting is a form of coercive control that deliberately coerces someone into disbelieving their reality.
- Jennifer highlights it as serious psychological harm and notes it's recognised under coercive control laws.
Psychological Effects Are Deep and Eroding
- Victims report rising anxiety, disorientation, and chronic self-doubt that erodes confidence and sense of intellect.
- Kimberley and Jennifer link these feelings to questioning memories, decisions, and fearing one's own mental health.