Staying Connected to Yourself with Tegan Webster

In the Season 1 Finale of You Belong in the Room, Lindsay Hollinger sits down with social worker and psychotherapist Tegan Webster for a powerful conversation about coercive control, financial abuse, emotional manipulation, and the subtle ways people can slowly lose their sense of agency inside relationships. Tegan explains why abuse is often far more complex than most people realize, how coercive control develops gradually over time, and why so many women struggle to recognize the signs while they're living through them. Together, Lindsay and Tegan unpack the connection between financial participation and personal freedom, the role support systems play in helping people navigate difficult circumstances, and how friends and family can offer meaningful support without judgment. They also explore why financial abuse is about far more than money. It's about access, information, choice, and the ability to make decisions about your own life. Tegan shares insights from nearly two decades of supporting women experiencing intimate partner violence and explains why knowledge, community, and access to resources can be life-changing. This episode also highlights the connection between Powership Collective and Auberge Shalom's Access to Justice Program. Tegan helped establish the program to support women facing legal barriers while navigating intimate partner violence, separation, and family court proceedings. Through Powership's annual symposium, proceeds from ticket sales help support this important work, reinforcing a shared belief that women deserve access to the information, resources, and professional support they need to make informed decisions about their futures. This season finale is a reminder that these conversations are not abstract. They shape people's safety, autonomy, confidence, and ability to participate fully in their own lives. About the Guest Tegan Webster is a social worker and psychotherapist with nearly twenty years of experience supporting women experiencing intimate partner violence, coercive control, financial abuse, and separation. She has spent most of her career at Auberge Shalom, a Montreal-based organization dedicated to supporting women and children affected by intimate partner violence through counseling, shelter services, prevention initiatives, advocacy, and legal support programs. Tegan helped establish Auberge Shalom's Access to Justice Program, which provides women with access to legal resources and support during some of the most challenging periods of their lives. She is recognized for her trauma-informed approach, her commitment to empowering clients through information and support, and her ability to navigate complex family dynamics with compassion and nuance. What You'll Learn The difference between healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationship dynamics What coercive control actually looks like in everyday life How financial abuse impacts freedom, choice, and autonomy Why abuse is often difficult to recognize while it's happening The connection between financial participation and personal agency How isolation develops and why support systems matter What to say (and what not to say) when supporting someone you care about Why documentation can become an important tool in difficult situations How to think about safety planning and building options Why knowledge, information, and community create opportunities for change Key Takeaways Coercive control often develops gradually rather than through a single event Financial abuse is about access, information, freedom, and choice—not just money Isolation can make difficult situations feel even more overwhelming Support should create safety, not pressure Validation is often more helpful than advice Awareness helps people recognize patterns earlier Building financial knowledge can create more options Documentation and preparation can be powerful tools Community plays a critical role in helping people navigate difficult circumstances Knowledge creates options, and participation creates power