Brianne couldn’t sleep. Her mind was replaying her week at work. Her new supervisor had excluded her from meetings, spread rumors behind her back and often made devaluing comments to her. Brianne started to replay the conversations they had had together. Was I impolite? Did I say the wrong thing? The more she replayed the discussions, the more confused she got. She felt as if she had always been kind to everyone on her team. The more afraid Brianne was of her supervisor, the more control the supervisor had over her.
Fear and control tend to happen on a spectrum. When people are afraid, they might avoid, attack or people please to feel safe. Some people might seek to have more control because the more power they have, the safer they feel. In the case of Brianne, her supervisor was trying to use control tactics to make Brianne follow her guidelines. Brianne had been doing her own thing at work, and sometimes she didn’t do it precisely as her supervisor requested.
Consequently, her supervisor felt out of control. To feel more in control, she started to devalue Brianne so that Brianne would lose confidence and begin to listen. Control tactics can look like gossiping behind someone’s back, degrading, excluding, and or isolating from friends and family.
Brianne eventually recognized why her supervisor was treating her differently. To repair her professional relationship, she made sure that she did not threaten her supervisor’s authority. She began to watch her supervisor’s actions, but she did not react. The emotional reaction might have led to more control tactics. The poker face and following authority eventually led to a repaired work relationship where both Brianne and her supervisor felt safe.
On one end of the spectrum, control tactics can be annoying. On the extreme end of the spectrum, control tactics can be dangerous. In romantic or family relationships, isolation, lack of empathy and devaluing can sometimes lead to domestic violence. Lack of empathy and devaluing can also lead to decreases in self-worth and self-esteem.
Suppose you feel like you are being bullied, devalued, or controlled. In that case, a professional can help you to regain confidence or help you to come up with a solution. Suppose you struggle with control and feeling out of control. In that case, a professional can help you to learn how to feel safe without using control tactics.
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If you feel like you need to talk to someone, then please do contact me to set up an online session via email info@doctormonicaborschel.com.
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Although I am a registered clinical psychologist with the Hong Kong Society of Counseling and Psychology, I am not a licensed psychologist or any other type of licensed therapist in the United States. The information I am providing here is educational and informational. This social media page does not provide professional advice, nor does it create a professional-client relationship or any other type of relationship between us. You should always consult your own licensed mental health professional before making any changes regarding your mental health. My goal is to educate, guide, consult, and empower you regarding your mental health journey. Always consult your licensed mental healthcare provider(s) and never disregard or delay medical advice based on information posted on this page or post.